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LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 


PRINCETON, N. J. 





PURCHASED BY THE HAMILL MISSIONARY FUND. 





BV 3280 .D52 B84 1926 


Building on the Rock 






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BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


uoHeIg OMsyesueaq eEMeYH 








For other foundation can no man lay than 
that is laid which is Jesus Christ—I Cor. 3:11. 


An account of the first quarter of a century of mis- 
sion work done by the American Mennonite Mission, 
Hhamtarr. 6. rie India 
1899 — 1924 


Written by the missionaries. 


MENNONITE PUBLISHING HOUSE 


Scottdale, Pennsylvania 





The Tree Underneath which Bro. Ressler and Bro. A. D. Wenger First 
Lived in an Improvised Hut 


Copyright, 1926, by Mennonite Publishing House 


DEDICATION 


To the workers of 
The American Mennonite Mission 
both Tretian and American 
who have laid down their hves in the service 
that Christ might be made known to the people 
in the field of 
The American Mennonite Mission 


this volume is affectionately dedicated 





J. S. Shoemaker, President of the Mennonite Evangelizing and 
Benevolent Board at the time of the merger of this Board with the 
Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Missions in May, 1906, 
became the secretary of the consolidated Bcard which has since that 
time been known as the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. 
He held this position until 1921, when he was succeeded as secre- 
tary by S. C. Yoder, ‘the present incumbent, since which time he 
has been a member of the Executive or Mission Committee. 


3ro. Shoemaker was delegated by the General Mission Board to 
visit the mission field of the American Mennonite Mission at Dham- 


tari, India. Accompanied by Bro. J. S. Hartzler, he spent six months 
in India, 1910-11. 


Chapter 


VI. 
VIL. 
VIIL. 
IX, 
ne 
Kl 
xi 
XIII. 
XIV. 
XV. 
XVI. 


CONTENTS 


Page 
lpdhamarnnnteldeywyid nooks S1ypncy eon, Serer ere ep San ony pee 9 
SEC NINOS Ol Liem VV OL kit) LNC1ae.c, sens. cus pos 13 
Pe eta iow ee OLCTO I Pal OU dD Caye..cert, cents 2h 18 
MCL ON Ope CMG LOWanee, sues dies. ,siesee eercr stern 27 
heer aya babee Maat (Elaphe ab bay wh co ea ee ha eer 4] 
PU eCtwe la 1S GAIGIN bviircs tamer, Mectasyeeeetccttes tea. 54 
Parone eieLl OMLCLESS ene: er tes tecsescers sees ence 69 
BA emevidti Toit pO melt ca Miia vet tir veers sepa 89 
Age be hei ter Wal eqci via ¥en Leh uel aise ha eady in ee eA 103 
TOTMEB Ure Cag ad aVsy Nl Bea ees Pepe wires Lee ren RRA oer ene 116 
WM CripkaeenT OL On tC Ie CDG Snes mactees A recteene nace: -k 126 
aie sedi ote licie a VV OG creat. tt scree oot cack 137 
eiemeLaiie  ISilem OW LISSION ALLIES wees. eaytae cess 143 
TES WYS a SAK ace Brg Ae asi rian ee PSOE 2 ere rm 154 
tee RADICAL GD CLOUCSIO tere sestcs facecctafeeatesctetoee 8: 174 
PLU ELLLCME LE) AU ameerses eceat ct etrnree acs cc sponte ates 189 
oho Wega giethalds Thole) ia Fe ppm cteese tlre res Sirti t SeaeE 193 
Appendix 





Geo. L. Bender was appointed Secretary pro tem of the Menno- 
nite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board oi America in 1892 to fill 
the vacancy caused by the ‘death of Joseph Summers. He was 
elected Treasurer of the Board at the next regular meeting, January, 
1893, and was associated continuously with the missionary organiza- 
tions of the Church, either as Secretary or Treasurer, ‘until May, 
1906. He was elected General Treasurer of the Mennonite Board of 
Missions and Char:ties at Rittman, Ohio, at the time when the 
Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board and the Mennonite 
Board of Charitable Homes and Missions were merged. 

Brother Bender was an ardent worker in his field, and the work 
of the Board was very materially strengthened by his sacrificial 
labors. His health failing, an assistant became necessary, though 
he was continued in his position of General Treasurer until the time 
of his death, in 1921. Brother Vernon E. Reiff was -chosen his 
assistant in 1918, and was elected as his successor in 1921. 


INTRODUCTORY 


The Preacher hath said, “Of making many books there is no end.” 
No one with his eyes open can deny the truthfulness of this statement. 
Countless in number, incomprehensible as to the extent of subject matter, 
and limitless in power of character moulding are the books that are pub- 
lished and scattered broadcast over the world in this present age. 


Whether of a historical, scientific, ethical, or religious nature, books 
are of great value and greatly to be appreciated, provided their contents 
when read are helpful in storing the mind with such facts, truths, and 
information as will inspire the individual to truly love the Lord, and lead 
the reader to walk worthy of Him in every phase of life and service. 


As one interested in a special way in the mission activities of the 
Church, it affords me real joy to be permitted to call attention to the 
valuable contents of this volume. We believe it is the product of love 
en the part of our devoted missionaries in India, through which they are 
enabled to convey to the supporters of the work, and to the Church in general 
in the homeland, a bird’s-eye view of the work that has been accom- 
plished through the grace of God by the consecrated workers of the 
American Mennonite Mission in the Central Provinces of India during the 
past quarter century. 


All who are filled with the missionary spirit, and interested in the 
foreign mission activities of the Church, in extending the borders of Christ’s 
kingdom among the heathen in India and elsewhere, will certainly appre- 
ciate having the privilege of being in possession of this unique volume which 
is not only a storehouse of missionary information, but a memorial. of the 
twenty-fifth anniversary of our India Mission activities as well. May the 
same serve our beloved brotherhood as a monument marking the end of 
two and one half decades since the founding of the Mennonite Mission 
Stelonanitariet, india: 

Brother J. A. Ressler and Dr. W. B. Page and wile were our pioneer 
missionaries, commissioned by the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent 
Board, and sent forth to bring both physical and spiritual relef to 


10 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


multitudes in India who were hungering for both body and soul food in 
that dark land of heathendom. 

The writer of this introductory message had the privilege of being 
present in the special mission meeting which was held in the Mennonite 
church, Elkhart, Ind., November 4, 1898, when hands were officially laid 
upon the three aforenamed persons as they received their sacred commission. 

On March 24, 1899, the newly-appointed missionaries landed in India, 
the field of labor to which they had been officially assigned. After careful 
investigation and much needed preparation, work was opened November 
22, 1899, in the vicinity of Dhamtari, C. P., India, by this small band of 
workers. 

The work that was founded by our missionaries at that time had a 
small beginning, consisting of but one mission station with only three 
workers at the missionary helm, but through the providence of God, and 
the earnest, faithful, and prayerful efforts put forth on the part of the 
mission forces that have from time to time been mustered into the 
missionary ranks during the past quarter century, the small mission twig 
has, steadily grown until the same has become a large well-developed 
evergreen tree in the branches of which hundreds of men, women and 
children have found refuge, and have been safely sheltered from the 
ravages of sin, and the satanic practices and superstitions of heathendom. 

Having been officially connected with the General Mission Board and 
its activities for the last several decades, and having been (with Bro. J. S. 
Hartzler) delegated by said Board over a decade ago, to visit our mission 
forces in India to get a view of the field and its needs at close range, and 
look into the nature and scope of the work as carried on by the missionaries 
who were then laboring for the extension of the Master’s kingdom in that 
land of heathendom, and after spending six months in that land of spiritual 
darkness, we were greatly encouraged to note the progress that had been 
made in the various phases of the work which had been established in that 
idolatrous country, and were assured by our investigations and observations 
of the field and its needs that the same is indeed “white already to harvest.” 

An itemized and systematically arranged report of the growth of the 
work, consisting of the number and nature of mission institutions estab- 
lished. the number of native workers and foreign missionaries that have 
been in the harness, the number of souls that have been converted and 
added to the Church, and the extent of the relief, medical, educational, and 
industrial work that has been done during the past twenty-five years, is 
given in this interesting volume for the benefit of all who are interested 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 11 


in the Lord’s work in India. In fact, the missionaries have spared no means 
in making this special Anniversary Report of special interest to all who have 
‘the cause of Missions at heart. 

We sincerely hope that this Missionary Memento will be welcomed 
into every Mennonite home in America, and we trust that its contents will 
be carefully read and studied in order more fully to comprehend the nature 
and extent of the work already done, and impart to the reader a more 
complete knowledge of the possibilities and needs of the India Field, and 
thus be imbued and constrained through love toward Christ and His work, 
not only to pray earnestly for the extension of the Lord’s work in India, 
but, as faithful stewards, to give liberally of the means entrusted to us for 
the support and extension of His work in all the world. 


J. S. Shoemaker. 


‘TR6, 4eoA npulfy 
ayy JO yyesiveq YI 10 “G “VY HZ6I-S-6 Pred 


“ATBSSIDIU VUTOJIG JIAO JL pynoys 
0} Poettajot oq APU JI yey} Japs1oO ur sono; Aw 
yO uorssassod [[nf url Suloq }diede1 sty} UsIM oAeY 
J, Wostor SIq}-1Oq° “WIe]D o10Ul ou. SsABY J ‘9911 
24} YPM Soseoid yt JeyYM Op AeW UOISSIPT 94, ‘aT qIS 
-uodsot oq [JIM J ‘osTe} posopisuod oq ]yeYys yr uo 
-oafqo ayeul Ja9A9 9UO AUB P[noOYS ‘suorjefqo Aue 
Joyo ued sjuepusdsap AUT JOU J] JaYyIaU UOTJORSUeI} 
sIq} UJ ‘“yuNIgG ‘Dy ‘VY ‘Juesy ‘UOISSIP, aUuOUUDTY 
URITIOUIY 94} JO puNnOdUIOD 9Y4} ZpIsUL SuUIpUe}s JU 
0} SuIsuUO[Iq 9913 OSuPU eB (UOISSIPY 94} 0}) UOTSsas 
-sod 19A0 UdAIS pue (IAT Soodny) /¢ ‘sy Jo wns 
oy} JOJ pjos ‘a}ep s Aep-0O} uo oALY ‘Indiey 4oII}sIp 


‘Tieyweyd jo jJUapiset ‘soutsey eB UOT}ednd90 Aq ‘a}sed 


TayeyYyD 9Y4} Jo ‘Sursureyy) jo uos ‘sulssouinsg ‘7 


Idldogda 





(Clebsveth cate I 


BEGINNINGS OF THE WORK IN INDIA 


Byejooe. Wessler 


“How did the American Mennonite Mission happen to be established 
in India?” 

My dear friend, it didn’t happen. The work at Dhamtari was planned 
by 'the Master long before those who were privileged to be with it in the 
beginning were prepared to be associated with it. 

The rainfall of 1896 was short over a large part of India and there 
came as a result the famine of 1897. It “happened” that Elder George 
Lambert was on his trip around the world during the early months of that 
famine. He came home, told what he saw of suffering as a result of the 
famine, and awakened the sympathy of the Mennonite people. Later Elder 
Lambert was sent back to India to represent our people and to see that 
their means were properly distributed for famine relief. 

It was natural to realize that the souls of the poor in India were more 
precious than their bodies. If it was worth while to send help for the 
starving, was it not more important to see to their spiritual welfare? 

But who should go? 

There were no mission study classes and no volunteer bands in the 
Mennonite Church in those days. 

In many a crisis the issue hung on the question of who should go. 
There was no question as to whether Goliath should be slain or not, but 
who should go to do it? Saul had a family and a kingdom to think about 
and he could not go. Eliab, valiant as he was, had interests that kept him 
from going as a volunteer. Little David—hlessed thought for the modern 
missionarv—did not need to go in his own strength. ‘The people of Israel 
needed some one to warn them and to give them a very unwelcome message 
in the days of Isaiah, but even the Lord asked the question, “Whom shall 
I send, and who will go for us?’ 





Beginning of the Call 


In the latter part of the year 1897 a call was issued through the Herald 
of Truth for volunteers to go to India and open mission work. The 


14 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 





An Ocean Liner 


Mennonite [vangelizing and Benevolent Board, then the Mission Board 
of the Church, appointed an examining committee to determine the 
qualifications of those who should offer to go. Several persons wrote letters 
of inquiry as a result of these steps, but for a whole year no one made an 
unqualified offer to go. 

The conferences of 1898 were fraught with meaning to the mission 
cause in the Mennonite Church. In the Southwestern Pennsylvania 
Mennonite Conference, after a deeply spiritual meeting, in which the mission 
cause had been strongly presented, a call was made for volunteeers to 
pray every day that some one from that district should be sent to the 
foreign held. A number rose to signify their willingness thus to pray. 

Eleven days after the close of this conference the Mennonite Evan- 
gelizing and Benevolent Board met at Wakarusa, Indiana. The day 
following the Mennonite General Conference met at the same place. On 
the 4th of November the Home and Foreign Relief Commission met at 
Elkhart, Ind. In the intervals between these meetings special meetings 
were held and in these special meetings the mission spirit ran high. 

In the meantime the Lord was making preparations for the work He 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 15 


had to do. Dr. W. B. Page was at this time a practicing physician at 
Middlebury, Ind. Some years before, while a student, he had become a 
volunteer for foreign mission work. He had allowed the matter to rest, 
although the old resolution was not forgotten. Just before the fall 
conference season of 1898, Dr. Page and his family underwent a season 
of severe trial. The only child, a daughter, was stricken with a severe 
Iness and all that medical skill could devise failed to help her. When she 
was lying at the point of death a second child was Dorn sto; them. in the 
midst of these testings the missionary call again became very forcible. In 
talking it over with his wife, Bro. Page asked the question, then so often 
suggested to earnest Christians by Sheldon’s book, “What would Jesus 
do?” She replied with emphasis, “He would say, GO.” And so it was 
that on the 4th of November, 1898, Dr. Page appeared before the examining 
Committee and passed with the understanding that he should be sent when 
a minister was found to accompany him. 
An Important Meeting 


On the afternoon of November 4, 1898, a meeting was called by bro. 





Railway Station, Dhamtari 


16 BUTDDANG ON TEHHReROCK 


M. S. Steiner, in the Mennonite Church at Elkhart, to consider definitely 
the work of selecting missionaries to open work in some foreign field. It 
was felt that something definite should be done and that talk shouid give 
way to action. Some spoke of their willingness to go, but there were 
hindrances which kept them at home. One spoke of his family and the 
debts that hung over his property. The writer had no property on which 
to have debts and some months before this his home had been broken up 
by the death of his life companion, so he felt that these “hindrances” did 
not apply to him. He arose to urge caution that we do not allow God’s 
blessings to hinder us in His work, and asked whether others who felt 
that their families were a hindrance in God’s work, were willing to have 
their hindrances removed in the way they had been from the writer. Then, 
continuing, he said what he had no notion of saying when he began, but 
seemingly urged on by an irresistible power, that, since he was not bound 
by family ties, he was willing to go where the Lord called, no matter where 
that call led, whether to remain in America and work on in an obscure 
place unobserved, or to go to Africa or India or to any other part of the 
world. 


Others expressed themselves as personally interested in mission work, 
but with more or less indefiniteness as to their own relation to it. Bro. 
D. H. Bender in a few earnest words urged definite action. He appealed 
to the members of the Board and of the Examining Committee present, 
saying that, since volunteers had offered themselves, the responsibility 
rested with those who had the appointing to do, and there was no longer 
any excuse for delay on the ground of having no workers to go. 


Lhe members of the Examining Committee held a hasty consultation 
and announced that at the close of the evening evangelistic service a 
decision would be announced. 


At the close of the afternoon meeting the writer went with Bro. Aaron 
Loucks, with whom he was at this time associated as pastor at Scottdale, 
Pa., to a private room, where the time until the evening meeting was spent 
in fasting and prayer. Very definitely the matter was committed to the 
Lord, the prayer was offered that the men who should make the important 
decision might have wisdom and grace to do the right and best thing, no 
matter what personal inclinations might stand in the way. Having thus 
disposed of the matter, they felt that the men who should decide would 
certainly express God’s will concerning them in this matter. 


Aiter the evening meeting fifteen bishops and one minister went into 
the council room of the church, and those who had spoken of volunteering 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 17 


that afternoon were called before them. A statement was asked of each 
of these. After hearing these statements, one after another of the bishops 
came and placed his hand on the shoulder of the writer, and said, “This 
is the man.” 


So it was that Dr. W. B. Page with his wife and child and J. A. Ressler 
came to be sent as the first foreign missionaries of the Mennonite Church 
in America. 

God’s guidance aid control were as evident in His opening of the 
hearts of the people in the Church at home as His later blessing on and 
direct control of the beginning of the work on the field. 





Balai Mata Temple, Dhamtari. The priest is seen standing in the inner door 


CTEA TT ER aur 


LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE 


. “~ ax ~ ~~ Nn xX 
ith PNR A aa SB Sar cae Taw TH sea aoa waarat ga 
fo ix Gt Ss sa ox Tears Bl a 4 WH UR err Her ore | 
AEA 2. 2G. ( In Hindi ) 
Kyonki Ishwar ne jagat ko aisa pyar kiya ki us ne apna eklautha putr 
diya ki jo koi us par bishwas kare so nash na hoy parantu anant jiwan 


pawe. Yohan 3:16. (In Roman characters) 
John 3:16 in Hindi. 


The first formidable undertaking of the foreign missionary is the study 
of the language, manners, and customs of the people among whom he came 
to work. In the case of our missionaries the language is Hindi. In the 
first quotation above you will note the peculiar characters of this language. 
The characters are called the Deva-Nagari characters, same as the original 
Sanskrit from which Hindi is derived. Sanskrit is one of the oldest if not 
the oldest of all languages. The chief language spoken in the Central 
Provinces is Hindi though other languages and dialects are also spoken. 
Urdu is spoken in some parts, Marathi is spoken in other parts, while in 
our own mission field, Chhattisgarhi, a dialect of Hindi, is spoken very 
largely. Gondi and Oriya are also spoken in parts of our field. 


Chhattisgarhi Dialect 


As already noted, Chhattisgarhi is a dialect of Hindi. It is a corrupt 
form of Hindi and is spoken by several millions of people. It is so different 
from Hindi that persons who know Hindi only are not able to converse 
with the people nor understand what they say. This is very annoying to 
the new missionary for he is usually anxious to try his Hindi on any one 
who is willing to listen and when he finds that he cannot understand what 
the people say he is discouraged. On one occasion one of our missionaries 
gave careful] instructions to one cf the servants in what he thought was 
good Hindi but the servant answered, “Sahib, I do not understand 
English.” Literature in Chhattisgarhi is very scant. There is a grammar 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 19 


written by a former school teacher of Dhamtari. Besides this book there 
are only three gospels translated into the dialect—Mark, Luke and John. 
The last was translated by one of our missionaries. 


There is a large admixture of Urdu spoken with Hindi in this part of 
India. Urdu is derived from the Persian and Arabic languages and is 
written in the Perso-Arabic character. It is read from right to left similar 
to Hebrew and has many words in common with Hebrew. Missionaries 
of our mission find it necessary to learn many Urdu words to add to their 
Hindi vocabulary. It is the language of the courts and all legal documents 
that are written in the vernacular are written in Urdu. 


Hindi is not as difficult as some of the Indian languages, such as 
Marathi and Tamil, for instance. . Still, most missionaries find it hard 
enough. [lindi grammar is not really difficult and with close application 
may be easily learned. Idiom is a different thing. There is a constant 
temptation to translate literally into Hindi from English but in most cases 
the translation means nothing. One of our missionaries told a coolie who 
had lost his temper and was giving vent to abusive language to keep his 
mouth shut. The next day the coolie came with a big’ cloth tied over his 
mouth. When he was asked what was the matter he replied that the day 
Berbice she }was ordered to tie ‘his .mouth- shut. . Gender also causes 
considerable trouble. There are two genders—masculine and feminine—and 
all words that do not indicate sex are divided between the two genders 
there being no very well defined rules to go by. There are no prepositions 
in the language but plenty of postpositions. The inflection of the verb is 
not determined in all cases by the subject but by the number and gender 
of the word immediately preceding the verb. 


Hindi has fourteen vowels and thirty-five consonants. Most of out 
missionaries would be satisfied with this number but in addition they have 
to struggle with a large number of conjunct consonants. To make matters 
still worse there are differences in the initial and medial and final forms 
of the letters, in many cases bearing only the slightest resemblance to the 
letter as it stands alone. Some of the letters are very difficult to pronounce. 
iiicmiauespectally trie of the nasal “n*, the cerebral “d’s’” and .“t’s”’ and 
all the aspirates. The soft “r’ gives most missionaries a lot of trouble. 
Failure to pronounce these and other letters correctly gives a very bad 
sound to the missionary’s conversation and public speaking and though 
the polite Indians do not laugh in his presence, bad pronunciation forms 
the occasion for many a mirthful hour when the missionary is not present. 
One redeeming feature in the study of Hindi is the fact that it is phonetic 


99 99 


20 BUILDING ON THE-ROCK 


which makes it possible to pronounce almost any word without any outside 
help. } 

Language study in India is usually different from the study of 
languages in a college at home. There are two language schools here but 
they are conducted in the hills and thus far away from us. The usual 
method is to employ an Indian teacher who, for a consideration of ten or 
fifteen dollars a month, is willing to allow the missionary to dig out of him 
all he can. This teacher is supposed to correct the pupil’s pronunciation 
and help him in the meaning of words and idioms for the pupil must begin 
at the beginning just as a six year old child when he first goes to school. 
This method is a distinct advantage over studying the language in schools, 
for the vernacular is spoken all around him even in another dialect and his 
aim is to learn to speak to the people around him and understand what 
the people are saying to him. Also he is very anxious to speak the Word 
of Life in public service at the earliest opportunity. By reading, by trying 
to speak, by hearing the language, his eyes and ears and mouth make 
rapid adjustments to the strange sounds as a reward for his patient, 
persistent efforts. | 

For the purpose of guiding our missionaries in their study of the 
language a special course of study has been prepared. The original course 
was one of two years. It was later revised and enlarged to a four vears’ 
course which appears below. 


Course of Study for Missionaries. 


First Year First lessons in Hindi (Dann). How to speak Hindustani 
(Rogers). 
Hindi First and Second Books. (C. P. Government and 
Christian Literature Society.) 
John and Acts and Line Upon Line—Hind1. 
Orient Reader No. 1 Translation from English to Hindi. 
Dictation exercises. 
Second Year Hindi Prose Composition (Dann). For reference Greaves’ 
Hindi Grammar. 
Hindi Vhird, BookY (CPs Government and Ge aogm 
Matthew, Mark, Luke, -Line Upon Line; Pt) 1 iieana 
Dharam Tula—Hindi. ; 
Orient Reader No. 2 English to Hindi. 


Third Year Greaves’ Grammar 
Fourth, Book. (CP Gove and) Guba oocietws: 
Romans to Revelation and Sat Mat Nirupan 


Orient Reader No. 3 English to Hindi. 
Mark and Luke in Chhattisgarhi. Chhattisgarhi dictation 
from an Indian. 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 21 


Fourth Year Urdu Grammar. Hindustani Idiom (Hooper). 
Pag Mina the Ooi Gearts le & IT Ge PY Gove and’ Cal. 
SOCa: 


Kellogg’s Hindi Grammar for reference. 
Gospels and Acts in Roman Urdu—Mizan ud Din in Urdu. 
Orient Reader No. 4 English to Hindi. 

This course was in use by the Mission for a number of vears when 
various missions of the Hindi and Urdu speaking areas of India Laie 
to adopt one general course for all Hindi speaking workers and one for all 
Urdu speaking workers. The proposal received favorable se ene 
by nearly all missions working in these areas and a course was adopted 
which, having been revised from time to time, is now the prescribed course 
of study for a large number of missionaries working among many millions 
of people. Representatives from the various missions constitute a Joint 
Examining Board and this Board is responsible for the courses of study 
and for holding semi-annual oral and written examinations in convenient 
centers. This Board meets once every four years to consider any matters 
that will make for efficiency in the language. The course of study has 
been adopted by our mission whose missionaries have been taking the 


examinations according to it since 1912. We print the course below: 
First Course in Hindi. 
Pm VEL Oli ttimd iheglITC ta lt, so) ied note ts soe etal etal (150 marks) 
This is a qualifying examination. Candidates failing in this are 
not permitted to take the written examinations. 
iy AMER 0, SS PO ee ie p be. ene Nitra marca ee ey aR (100) 
faiemioictation. (alk of which 10 are for penmanship). 
(b}) Reading and translation on easy unseen passages of 150 words. 
RON CT a eet Me Pt gem Pate he oc 3! wake oe h dapat her eee (300) 
(a) Translation from Hindi into English (150) 
(i) Central Provinces Hindi Readers I, II and III omitting 
poetry (50). 
(ii) Gospel of St. John (50). 
Coverall Bharat Partell (25). 
(iv) 20 couplets from Dharam Tula (25). 
(b) Grammar (50). 
Greaves’ Hindi Grammar. 
(c) Translation from English to Hindi (100). 
As in Dann’s First Lessons in Hindi and McMillan’s King 


Reader. 
Total 550 marks. 


Second Course in Hind. 


oes mameennione kk 





Officials and Gentry of the Municipality of Dhamtari 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 23 


(b) Reading and translation of “unseen’’ passage of 150 words (50). 
(c) Address or sermon of ten minutes duration (100). 
(Gi WAVER TE ae ac DNRC Ey se Bile ge a ga an a (450) 
(a) Translation from Hindi to English Cl50); 
(i) Psalms 1-40, Acts, James, 20 selected bhajans (50). 
(ii) Satya Harish Chandra Natak (50). 
(iii) Shakuntala (50). 
(b) Grammar—Greaves’ and Kellogg’s (100). 
4c) Translation from English to Hindi (100). 
as in McMillan’s King Reader No. IV. 
(d) Original composition (100). 
An essay of not less than three hundred words on a subject 


given at the time of the examination. 
Total 700 marks. 


Third Course in Hindi. 


(a) Address or sermon of 15 minutes duration (100). 
(b) Conversation (100). 
Ba UR iter) ren ee A eh satis ds 4am ap ace tstyt y+ b> radeiede reste spade (500) 
(a) ‘Translation from Hindi to English (200). 
(i) Mudr Rakshas (50). 
(ii) Ramayan—All of Sundarkhand (50). 
(iii) Shad Darshan Darpan (50). 
(iv) Unseen passages from current newspapers and periodicals 
(50). 
(b) Grammar (100). 
The subject matter of Kellogg’s Grammar pps. 28-80. 
The elements of prosody as far as required for the analysis or 
ordinary metre. 
The subject matter of Hooper’s Hindustani Language. 
(c) Translation of English into Hindi (100). 
About 200 words from Pennell’s “Things seen in Northern India.” 
About 200 words from an “unseen” passage. 
(d) Original composition (100). 
An essay or sermon of not less than 400 words on a subject given 
at the time of the examination. 


Total 700 marks. 

The advantages of such an Examining Board are many. They provide 
a stronger course of study than would ordinarily be provided by the 
‘individual mission and remove very largely the personal element in 
conducting the examinations. Besides, those who successfully pass the 
examinations are provided with certificates and these count for a certain 
number of credits if missionaries wish to continue school work during 
furlough periods. Although we as a mission have adopted this course of 
study yet we, as are all missions, are free to omit any portions of the course 


24 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


we would not consider best for our own mission. All our missionaries are 
required to take this course of study unless specially excused by the 
Mission. 

Language Problems 


Some people advocate that missionaries study the Hindi language 
before coming on the field for then they will be able to take up work at 
once upon arrival on the field. New missionaries are always eager to 
begin work upon arrival on the field. All of us can testify to the fact 
that we were disappointed that we were not able to begin work at once 
and thus help the overworked missionaries. It would be very difficult 
to get proper facilities to study Hindi in America even if it were desirable 
to begin the study before coming ‘on the field. But it is not desirable, for 
the mere study of the language is not the only thing the new missionary 
needs. It is also essential for him to know the manners and customs and 
social habits of the people among whom he works so that he may know 
how to conduct himself among them. This takes time and while he is 
learning the language he has ample time to study the people, which in turn 
gives him valuable suggestions as to how to approach them when he is 
able to converse with them. It is, however, a good thing if candidates for 
the foreign field while in the course of their preparation for the field take 
thorough courses in phonetics for this will be a great help to them when 
they begin. the study of Hindi. 

“How long does it take to master the language?” is a question 
frequently asked of the returned missionary. If by mastering the language 
is meant being able to use it perfectly then we must answer that it takes 
a lijetime. But if by mastering the language is meant getting a working 
knowledge of it then our answer must vary with the individual studying 
it, for some people learn a language more easily than others. Ordinarily 
a missionary may understand much and be able to talk considerable after 
six months of hard work. Some missionaries preach within a year after 
arrival. Others take more time, but one may safely say that the average 
missionary is able to feel at home in the language after about five vears 
on the field. 

Curious mistakes are often made by the beginner. One of our 
missionaries asked another if the people worship the white sister. He 
received the reply that they may do so in America but not so in India. 
What he wanted to ask was if the people worship the white ox. The 
difference was between “bahin” and “bail.” One missionary wanted to 
tell the Indians that a certain missionary is expected to land in Bombay 


BUILDING: ON». THE ‘ROCK 29 


next week. Instead she said he would land in the next incarnation. One 
missionary announced hymn No. 107% intending to announce 167. An- 
other missionary asked Rajakhan, “Did you ever see any mules?” The 
occasion of the question was the coming along the road of a number of 
donkeys. Rajakhan replied, “No, what is that?’ The missionary replied, 
“Why, it is a long-eared man. We have very large ones in our country.” 
The reply was not very intelligible to Rajakhan because the missionary 
used the word “purush” (man) when he should have used the word “pashu” 
(animal). Because of the use of the wrong Hindi word one missionary 
in his sermon had men instead of birds flying in the air. 

But mistakes are not all made by the missionaries studying Hindi for 
similar mistakes are made by Indians learning English. They delight in 
flowery language as the following letter written by the Hindu headmaster 
of one of our schools in the early days of the mission will show: 


La 
The Manager 
M. S. (Mission School) 
Dhamtari 
Sir, 

Most humbly and respectfully I beg to take the liberty of applying to 
your honor with a sanguine hope for a situation of 40 sq. yds. near the 
Mission compound, as it 1s spacious with open air. The lodge where I 
put up now has a worn thatch eaten away by the white ants with a very 
bad latrine and surrounded on the west with high tamarind trees kissing 
the skies. 

The air is blown out from the house and I am smothered. Besides the 
roof is very low and so I am scorched to death. The lodge is full of 
holes and infested with rats which are worse than cannibals. They dance 
on the breast, cut the hair, mustaches and every part of the precious body. 
On the eastern side of the house the pathway is quite close to it, the dust 
being puffed off by the wind, flies to my mouth and more to stuff my 
invaluable body. Thus your honor can see that my body, each nerve and 
cell, stuffed with the terrible dust. 

Many more grievances there are to be put forth before your honor 
which make a work of tragedy. So much will suffice to your wonder that 
I am hale and hearty and trying to compete others who have more 
advantages than me. But I promise your honor to look healthier and 
prettier than at present when I will have a small pyramid of bamboos 


26 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


two or three stories high with a cooking house, a latrine and a drawing 
room and a chimney of tin to let out smoke near the mission compound. 
I beg to remain Sir Yours obediently 
Signed 


C6 8 6 4e 6) € eee ee 6 Ce ee Se) 6h ee 





acm 


aa an fey wae Har aa aH A TAA fareat 
gare alc san saat saa TEI grat 
tg & qe B wel aia Te fa Hatt aa tal 
Sif an ara eet | eau are ze eH a Tas 
aqcat & Teg s ale sa Stata HAT AAT 
at qr tat |aaet ax aa ara se ase 
asx a f& aa aia ama X fa araeat 
, macy adi Fl sae ATAT A AT AA faat fe 3 
Saat am EN 


afi cH Wy HI RAAT aA TeaT a 
gata fi AMT WH eat TAF HAS TH 
sara eka ac rar gard iy A Kat “ake 
Ht cara tat ALTA ame TaIIAT ga IX 
Soaqtg Et HA anigean ae Za TAR 
aqeat A ag As Hi aeat ait” WET G29, 
acai aa Feat aa ar ai Ta ar 
oi} glo saa ala at arat 2 fe fea sar 
qrit ¥1 af sarca areat @ fe mT 
AUNT Ga AAC AAA Aat t/ 
got at ama KL | ate a Aaa Ae 
& qftga & at ait ara et Tt 
aia at geatar at aet ate 
amay | gat aaa ga 
qt Add As ql watla Z 





GEA TP GE Ne Lid 
OCCUPYING THE FIELD 


The first missionaries of the American Mennonite Mission came to 
India under the auspices of the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent 
Board—now the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities—having been 
appointed at Elkhart, Indiana, November 4th, 1898, and landed at Bombay, 
March 24th, 1899. They were Bro. Jacob Andrews Ressler and Bro. (Dr.) 
and Sister William B. Page. Their aspirations were modest when on this 
date they landed with $1,000.00 with which to found a mission. The task 
before them was a responsible one but God was in their travels and 
researches and He led them to a field, perhaps the most needy and at the 
same time the most accessible in all India. The place to which the Lord 
led them was Dhamtari in the Central Provinces at which place they 
arrived and began work 


November 22, 1899 


The entry into Dhamtari can not be described as a triumphant entry 
in the usual meaning of that term. There was no previous preparation 
though they had seen the place when travelling through. There was no 
hlowing of trumpets, no procession,:no reception committee, not even a 
house in which to live. This first trip was made on a bullock cart all the 
way from Rai- 
pur, forty-eight 
miles north. 
They unhitched 
their bullocks 
and began to 
make camp on 
the west side of 


Dhamtari under 
a large mango 
tree at the edge 


of a large man- 





go grove. An 


open field lay Hindu Temple, Dhamtari 


28 BUILDING ON ‘THE ROCK 






Dhomtari City 
Pop /3,ccoe 


n 
Map o§ 
MISSION PROPERTY 


SUN DARGANG 
Dhamtari 





BUILDING ON THE ROCK 29 


between their camp and the town of Dhamtari. November is a beautiful month 
in India and camping outdoors under the shade of a friendly mango tree 
is not really a bad experience but it can not be done for an indefinite 
length of time so Bro. Ressler soon made arrangements for the erection 
of a hut of bamboo matting. The hut was small and inconvenient but it 
served as the first dwelling place of the founders of the Mission, which 
they occupied until more permanent quarters were provided. Bro. A. D. 
Wenger was at this time making a trip around the world and by a happy 
coincidence he was in India at the time and was with Bro. Ressler on 
this trip to Dhamtari sharing the rude hut for several months. 


For over a year after the arrival of the first missionaries at Dhamtar1 
their energies were fully occupied in relieving the physical suffering caused 
by famine. At one time 9000 persons were on Government works in charge 
of the Mission and later some 20,000 persons in thirty-eight villages were 
fed Government rations under the direction of the missionary in charge. 
After the famine was over and Government help ceased it was felt that 
caring for adults was a task beyond the province of the Mission but many 
children found a shelter within the protecting walls of the institution where 
the name of Jesus is known and the Gospel is taught. 


As soon as possible after arrival at Dhamtari, negotiations were begun 
to acquire land on which to build very necessary buildings, which were to 
become the home of the American Mennonite Mission. The open field west 
of Dhamtari seemed an ideal site and after much investigation and many 
delays a permanent lease was obtained from the malguzar of Dhamtari 
for nine acres of land, part of which was reserved for gardening purposes. 
The annual rental agreed upon was seventeen dollars. There was a big 
well on this plot called the Sundarganj well and Sundarganj became the 
name of the property now in the possession of the Mission. Sundarganj 
means “beautiful treasure” and we have always greatly prized this valuable 
plot of ground. Building operations were soon started and in a compara- 
tively short time orphanage buildings, a hospital building, and two 
bungalows were built. 

Bro. Ressler had his eye on the large mango grove of seventeen acres 
containing five hundred trees, the place where he made his first camp. 
As soon as he could manage to do so he approached the Government 
regarding this grove and finally the Government agreed to let the Mission 
have a permanent lease on it charging thirteen dollars a year to pay for 
the loss to the Government of the mangoes. This formed an excellent play- 
ground for the large orphanage. 


30 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


The Field 


When the first missionaries arrived there were two missions established 
in Raipur, forty-eight miles to the north of Dhamtari, one mission in Raj 
Nangaon, forty miles to the west, and one in Jagdalpur, one hundred 
thirty-six miles to the south. Mission work was also carried on by a 
mission to the southeast some one hundred fifty miles away. Somewhere 
between these points lay the prospective field of our Mission, and in due 
course of time the final boundaries were determined. The boundaries 
between our field and that of the neighboring missions were 
determined by mutual arrangements’ of our mission andthe 
mission concerned. In order to become better acquainted with the 
conditions of our field, a Survey Committee was appointed to investigate 
such matters as extent, population, classes of people, number of Govern- 
ment village schools, and suitable locations for prospective mission stations. 
The present delineations of our field may readily be seen by examining 
the map of our Mission Field, specially prepared for this volume. Another 
map, also prepared for this report, shows our mission field in its relation 
to other missions bordering on ours. As constituted at present the Field 
is about eighty miles from east to west and about fifty-two’ miles from 
north to south, making a total of four thousand one hundred 





Workers’ Bungalow in Connection with the Girls’ Orphanage, Balodgahan 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 31 





Medical Station and Government Macadam Road, Dhamtari-Raipur 


sixty square miles. According to the census of 1921 the population 
of this part of India averaged one hundred forty-five per square mile. 
At this rate our Mission Field contains 603,200 souls. It will be instructive 
as well as interesting to compare the density of population of our Mission 
Field with other parts of India and with India as a whole as well as with 
several other countries. The Province of Bengal has a population of five 
hundred per square mile while the Gangetic valley boasts of eight hundred. 
India as a whole has a population of over two hundred per square mile 
Compared with these figures it may be noted that the United States has 
a population of thirty-five per square mile, Canada five, and the Argentine, 
our South America Mission Field, seven per square mile. Although we 
occupy one of the least densely populated districts of India it 1s still more 
than four times as densely populated as the United States and more than 
twenty times as much as our South America Mission Field. 


How the Type of Mission Work was Determined 


Our first missionaries came to India with no preconceived notions of 


ae BUILDINGION DHETROCK 


the line of work to be undertaken more than that they came to preach the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of India and to endeavor to lead them 
to the feet of Christ. Arriving as they did at the close of the famine of 
1897 followed by another and more severe one in 1900 the nature of the 
work to be done immediately was at once determined. At the close of the 
terrible famine of 1900 they found on their hands two large orphanages, 
both ot them at Sundarganj. The missionaries had no choice in the matter 
for the orphans must be clothed and fed and educated and trained to work 
and given religious instruction. Their health must be looked after and 
before they realized it the missionaries were engaged in Orphanage work, 
in Evangelistic and Educational work, in Industrial and Medical work. 
This is a big program to accept with no voice in the choosing of it! No 
new department of Mission work has since been started for none seemed 
necessary ! 


How the Mission Work Expanded 


To continue two large orphanages—one for boys and one for girls— 
in close proximity to each other was out of the question and so the 
missionaries began to pray for a new station for the girls. The little group 
of missionaries assembled for daily worship in the sitting room of one of 
the bungalows were greatly burdened with the necessity of a new station. 
One of them read the 46th Psalm and it seemed that the Lord revealed 
to them His approval of their great desire, for the conviction came upon 
all of them after rising from prayer that the new station was a fact. In 
due time a check arrived from the homeland to be used specially for the 
girls, followed by another for a similar purpose. The faith of the little 
group was greatly strengthened for soon enough money was received to 
purchase fitty acres of land at Rudri, four miles southeast of Sundarganj, 
and to erect the necessary buildings to accommodate the girls, and a 
bungalow for the missionaries who were to be in charge of them. The 
girls were removed to the new station in 1903. There were now two main 
stations. The difficulties and inconveniences in opening a new station are 
many and varied. There are first innumerable delays and disappointments 
involved in purchasing land. And of course there are no buildings on the 
spot for the missionary builder and his wife in which to live while over- 
seeing the building work. So temporary huts are provided and shifts are 
made from the first hut to some partly finished room and finally to the 
completed building. Such was the case with Bro. and Sister M. C. Lapp 
when they moved to Rudri with the girls, 

With the exception of a few years, the girls lived in their new quarters 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 33: 


at Rudri until 1912, when the Government purchased all our property there, 
with the exception of twenty-five acres of farm land for staff quarters in 
connection with the great project of an irrigation dam and canal. With 
great reluctance and regret we gave up the property, receiving from 
the Government the sum of $9,200.00. 


The need of a plan to help the growing Christian boys and girls to 
some permanent occupation soon became apparent. This need was greatly 
emphasized when in 1905 the first young people from our orphanages were 
united in marriage. Agriculture is the leading occupation of the majority 
of India’s people and so it was only natural that we thought of farming 
as the chief occupation for a large number of our young people. With this 
in view, efforts were made to purchase a village, or Indian land unit, for 
this purpose. After much investigation such a village was bought and 
the choice fell on Balodgahan, seven miles from Dhamtari, paying to the 


owner the sum of $2,700.00. 


The missionaries who located at Balodgahan had a hard time of it. 
They first lived in the mud hut used by the former malguzar but the roof 
leaked badly and the mud floor got so soft that the table and chair legs 
sank into it. The thatch roof could not easily be cleaned and there being 
no ceiling the dirt kept falling into the food on the table. It was right 





Balodgahan Village Bungalow 


34 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


in the middle of the town and so there was no privacy whatever. Then 
another mud hut was built outside of the village which served as a 
dwelling place until the missionaries could occupy one completed room of 
the still unfinished bungalow. 


When Rudri was sold it became necessary to find a place for the girls 
so it was decided to locate them at Balodgahan, the transfer being made 
in 1912. In order to accommodate them orphanage buildings had to be 
erected and also a bungalow for the missionaries in charge. 


The next station to be opened was Sankra, about eighteen miles from 
Dhamtari. This station was opened purely for evangelistic work. Enough 
land was borght for the bungalow and necessary outbuildings, and work on 
the buildings began in real earnest. Building work began at the time of 
the visit of Brother Shoemaker and Brother Hartzler. Brother Hartzler 
had experience in brickmaking and the method he had learned was an 
improvement over the one used in India so he spent a great deal of time 
helping the Indian brickmaker improve his methods and increase his output 
and incidentally his daily income. The missionary, supervising the building 
work, lived in a tent for which there was very little if any shade and it 
was bad in the hot season but the work went on until room was provided 
in the new bungalow. Sorrow early came over the missionary family at 
Sankra and it was not long until two small graves marked the places 
where two missionary children were laid to rest. 


Medical work was conducted from the very beginning but it received 
a temporary set-back when it became necessary for Dr. and Sister Page 
to go to America on account of the Doctor’s health. The first hospital 
building was located in cramped surroundings and the building was utilized 
for other purposes. The beginnings of a new General Hospital were made 
on a plot of ground near the railway station about one and a half miles 
from Sundarganj. The land was purchased in 1912 and suitable buildings 
were at once started. The medical work received a new impetus when a 
missionary doctor arrived in 1910. 


For a number of years the missionaries felt that work should by all 
means be opened in the Sihawa district. Several missionary tours were 
made through that district and the conditions seemed favorable to open 
an evangelistic station. Several investigation trips were made to survey 
the district and finally it was decided to purchase land and open another 
evangelistic station. This was done in 1916, when land was purchased in 
a village called Ghatula, about forty miles from Dhamtari. Soon after the 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 35 





Rudri Station (Sold to Government) 


purchasing of the land it was also decided to locate the Bible Training 
school at Ghatula and buildings were planned accordingly. 


Last, in the list of new stations to be opened, was Mahodi twenty-five 
miles from Dhamtari. This was opened in 1920, though land had been pur- 
chased in 1918. This is a purely evangelistic station and was built under 
difficult circumstances. Only the bungalow and necessary outbuildings have 
been erected, there being no institution located there. 


Besides these six main stations the mission maintains primary schools 
and evangelistic sub-stations at the following places named in the order 
of their establishing: Bhatgaon, Maradeo, Bijnapuri, Chikli, Bagtarai, 
Gopalpuri, Seodi, Gatasili, Nawgaon, Tengna and Kaspur. ‘Two stations, 
Mogragahan and Potiadi, are maintained by the India Mennonite Conference 
through a regularly appointed Home Mission Committee. Schools were 
conducted for a time at each of Chamar Para in Dhamtari, Shankarda and 
Arjuni, but these had to be abandoned. All these places may easily be 
located on the map of the Mission Field. 


or some time it was thought advisable to secure a place at some 
cooler station where the missionaries might spend part of the hot season 
not so difficult of access from Dhamtari. After considerable planning 
Igatpuri was chosen. Igatpuri is located on the Western Ghauts about 


36 BUILDING-ON THE ROCK 


seventy-eight miles from Bombay entailing a trip of nearly seven hundred 
miles from Dhamtari. As soon as proper arrangements could be made a 
Rest House for missionaries was erected. This was in 1910. For a number 
of years the bungalow was used by our missionaries but as our children 
grew up to school age and as there was no school for European children 
at Igatpuri the missionaries sent their children to schools in Darjeeling 
and Naini Tal. What opportunities the missionaries had of getting away 
irom the plains in the hot season they naturally spent in those hill stations 
where their children attended school. Thus it came about that the rest 
home at Igatpuri no longer served its original purpose and as soon as a 
purchaser was found it was sold. The final transfer of this property was 
made in November, 1924, when the Methodist Church bought it for nearly 
$2,700.00. 


Building Operations 


It is not possible to do much work without some buildings in which 
to live or in which to carry on the necessary institutional work. So 
houses must be built and as a rule the missionaries are responsible for the 
building work. If the mission buildings could speak what interesting 
stories they could tell! There are few experiences more trying to the 
missionary, whether old or young, than this phase of mission work. At 
home the architect and contractor, the lumber and brick yards, the hard- 
ware stores and motor trucks are within easy call of the telephone. Not 
so in India where we live. The missionary must be his own contractor 
and architect. He must see to the moulding and burning of the brick. 
He burns his lime from limestone gathered from the fields. He supervises 
the carpenters who make the doors and windows, according to specifica- 
tions made by himself. The timber for these as well as for the roof he 
may order through a timber merchant direct from the jungle but he must 
order in time or the timber he gets is green and not fit for use in a good 
building. 


And when the building operations finally begin, the work moves along 
in a surprisingly slow manner. A good bricklayer can lay up about a 
hundred cubic feet of brick wall a day. For this he needs the helpsora 
lot of coolies who hand him the brick, pour the water, place the mortar 
on the right spot and hand him his tools. Even at this rate one could get 
along but there are many delays. Some one may have neglected to report 
that the lime and sand are all used up and so the work is held up. The 
brick may have turned out badly and the work stops until a new kiln can 
be moulded and burned. The timber merchant may not have brought the 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 4¥4 


timber from the jungle when he promised and the building stands for 
months without a roof. Perhaps just when the finishing touches were to 
be put on one end of the building so the carpenters may begin on the roof 
there is a three day Hindu holiday and the work stops with a jar. It 
may be, too, that the missionary had to be away on some other urgent 
business for a few days and when he returned he found to his dismay in 
spite of the slowness of the work a surprisingly large amount of wall built 
during his absence that had to be torn down and built over. “Dismiss the 
masons and get others who will do the work properly,” you say, but we 
have already employed the best to be had so there is no help in that 
direction. But in spite of the delays and disappointments the building is 
finally completed and we are amazed at the amount of time and money and 
material that went into that building. Yes, and the heartaches and dis- 
appointments and loss of temper. And how we regretted that harsh 
statement and that hasty word when there was a little chance to reflect. 
We would rather do real mission work than put up buildings but these 
have to be provided in order that real mission work may become possible 
and permanent. 


Giving to missions, therefore, does not only mean the feeding and 
clothing of the poor or providing the means to carry on evangelistic or 
educational or medical work. It is true that much of the money sent by 
the church at home is thus spent and no material returns are expected. 
But money spent for buildings represents some more or less permanent 


tangible mater- 
ial stuff which 
can be estima- 
ted in dollars 
and cents. In 
the list below 
some idea may 
be formed of 
the value of 
the property in 
India owned 
by the church 


at home. 





Mission Rest Home, Igatpuri 


38 


PROPERTIES BELONGING TO THE AMERICAN 


Station 


Sundarganj 


Medical Station 


Balodgahan 


Sankra 


Ghatula 


Mahodi 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


MENNONITE MISSION 


Description of Property Estimated Value Totals 


North Bungalow 

South Bungalow 

English School house & Equip. 
English School Hostel & Equip. 
Head Master’s house 


Boys’ Orphanage, Segregation Ward 


& Equip. 
Carpenter shop & Equip. 
Middle school & Equip. 
Church building 
ceachen sahouse 
Equipment & Outbuildings 
Land 
Bungalow 
European ward 
Dispensary and wards 
Nurses’ Home 
Equipment & outbuildings 


‘Land 


Farm Bungalow 
Farm 


Farm buildings & cattle & Equip. 


Widows’ home and work rooms 
Boys’ schoolhcuse 

Workers’ houses 

Orphanage bungalow 
Orphanage Buildings & Equip. 
Middle school 

Teachers’ home 

Church 

Bungalow 

Equipment & outbuildings 
School house 

Church 

Land 

Bungalow 

Dispensary and nurses’ home 
Equipment & outbuildings 
School house 

Bible school & Equip. 

Land 

Bungalow 

Equipment & outbuildings 


$2,650 
5,300 
5,800 
4,650 
650 


7,600 
2,000 
3,650 
8,000 

350 
1,350 
2,000 
4,050 
1,500 
1,700 

750 

900 

500 
3,600 
6,650 
ro 
2,500 

300 
1,050 
4,000 
8,800 
3,750 
2,000 
8,000 
4,000 
1,200 

500 
5,000 

300 
4,000 
1,000 
1,500 

250 
3,850 

200 
4,000 
1,000 


$ 44,000 


10,000 


44,000 


11,000 


10,800 


BUILDING:‘ON THE ROCK 39 


Dispensary 300 
Land 200 5,500 
Schools Village schools & Equip. 2,800 2,800 


$128,100 
Unoccupied Territory 

It is unfortunate that the Mission has to acknowledge after twenty-five 
years of effort, that there is territory within its borders unoccupied by 
any mission forces, but such is actually the case. A thickly settled country 
in the northwest part of the field and easily accessible has had only 
occasional work done and is almost virgin soil. For a short while mission- 
aries and Indian workers were located at Gariaband in the Bendra 
Nawagarh state but owing to objections made by the state authorities 
the work had to be discontinued. Representation has since been made in 
the form of personal interviews for permission to reenter the state which 
has been heard sympathetically but up to the last moment no favorable 
reply has heen received. No workers have yet been located in Kanker, 
a native state south of Dhamtari, because repeated requests for permission 
to enter have been shelved by the authorities. But the last interview with 
the prime minister gave us sufficient encouragement to permit us to rent 
a house or pitch our tent within the state, but when this great opportunity 
came we were not prepared with sufficient workers for no one could be 
spared. We have been patiently waiting for reinforcements from the 
homeland so that we may enter this open door but none have come. ‘The 
church at home is responsible. 

Kanker and Bendra-Nawagarh are each large enough to occupy fuily 
the time of two missionary families in purely evangelistic work. There 
is another portion in the southwestern part of our field which is at present 
unoccupied. A missionary family should be located there. At least one 
more family should be located in the Sihawa field southeast of Ghatula. 
A. missionary family should be located in Dhamtari in addition to those 
already there to do evangelistic work only, which work has been sadly 
neglected because of the pressing and urgent demands on the missionaries’ 
time and strength through the work already established. 

The number of missionaries on the field after twenty-five years of 
effort is twenty-two. Dividing the population of the field by the number 
of missionaries on the field gives a parish of over twenty-seven thousand 
souls for each missionary. Or add to the number of missionaries the 
present force of Indian workers—sixty—it will still leave nearly seven 
thousand five hundred souls for each worker. Considering the fact that 


40 BUILDING ON THE/(ROCK 


the twenty-two missionaries on the field are responsible for twelve distinct 
institutions, most of them of considerable size, besides six village schools, 
there is not much wonder that there are still thousands of people in our 
own mission field who have never heard of Jesus Christ! 





A Banana Grove 


GEA PTE RLV: 


ORGANIZING THE CHURCH 


The first Christians of the community were those who had come from 
other missions and were employed in various kinds of work. Some later 
became communicant members of the Church and others again returned 
to their own communities when their services in our Mission were no 
longer required. 


Early Converts 


There were no converts received into the Church during the 
famine of 1900. The same p.inciple was adhered to in the main during 
later periods of distress. Those who desired baptism afterward were 
carefully taught and received into Church membership. Even then a few 
“rice” Christians crept in as an inevitable result. During the latter part 
of 1900, eighteen girls, a number of boys, and a few others were received 
into the Church. By the end of 1902 after three years of missionary effort 
there had been 
established a 
Church of three 
hundred twen- 
ty members 1in- 
cluding ninety- 
five le piers. 
This shows 
quite a_ rapid 
growth within 
a comparative- 
ly short time. 

The earnest- 
ness of many 
may be illus- 
ewckn cts tes Wen ayo an 
their own test- 
imonies. Gar- 
jan Bai, who 








Brother Nathaniel, Son and Grandson 


42 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


later became a real mother to the girls in the orphanage, was conducting 
a little meeting with the girls one evening in 1902. Not knowing that two 
of the missionaries had crept up to the lattice fence and were listening, 
she said to the hearers: 

“Do you remember the time of the famine when we begged from shop 
to shop in Dhamtari and other places and received only a little all day? 
And how we used to cook our handful of rice in our little earthen vessels? 
Do you remember how the people used to curse us and beat us and drive 
us away when we went to beg? Do you remember how we went hopelessly 
along the road, sick and footsore, eating leaves of trees, and picking up a 
few grains of rice here and there? And how we had scarcely a rag for 
clothing?” 

As a murmur of “Yes, yes, we remember,” went round the group she 
said with pathetic emphasis: 

“Ves, I remember too,” and added, “Now think of the change! 
Were we have warm clothing and plenty of good food and we eat it 
freshly cooked. We know where we have a nice soft place to sleep at 
night. No more wandering about to find a place and then have to lie 
down under a tree till morning unable to sleep on account of the cold. 
What has brought about all this change?” 

Holding up her New Testament she said, “It is what this Book has 
taught that has given us all these good things. It all comes from Jesus 
Christ. Now, should you not thank Him and obey Him?” 


On a Christmas day of a later year (1904) in a meeting with the lepers 
one of them in a testimony told how Jesus had suffered for him before he 
had known any- 
thing “sof “obi. 
He said that many 
had; **beeny simere 
living skeletons 
with ugly pus 
oozing out of 
their sores. Some 
had no place to 
sleep except un- 
der _ssome: Bitrer: 
How, ditte tiene 
their condition 
now! They have 





Church Conference Assembled 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 43 


good clean food to eat, and clean water to drink and bathe in, and all are 
fat and happy. 


“What,” he asked, “has brought about this change? Believing in the 
Lord Jesus Christ?” 

There was a readiness on the part of all the early converts to accept 
without question the teachings of the Word which they received and their 
grateful hearts were overflowing with thankfulness to God and _ their 
benefactors who had saved them from a miserable physical death and from 
deep spiritual darkness. 


Shepherding the Growing Flock 


For a number of years after the work was begun it was felt that 
Church administration should remain in the hands of the missionaries. 
There had not yet developed within the Christian community a conscience 
sufficient for self-government. Neither were they sufficiently schooled in 
the principles of the Gospel. They had to be “fed with milk” and carefully 
led in the ways of righteousness. The standards of the people from among 
whom they had come were so different, and the social and religious ideals 
so base that growing in grace after their conversion was a matter of better 
understanding, and living step by step each Christian principle and precept. 
They had gradually to experience the actual working of the Faith and the 
fulfillment of the promises for them. 

They were faithfully taught by the missionaries from the beginning 
in the fundamentals of the Christian faith and the distinctive Mennonite 
doctrines. They knew so little of the Bible and had to be taught over 
and over again the fact that Christianity is a life as well as a belief 
and worship. It was not difficult for them to understand the significance 
of the communion and feetwashing, of wearing the devotional covering, 
of observing Christmas, Easter, and other holy days, of church attendance, 
etc.; but they did not realize the value of justice, mercy, faith, and heart 
service. It certainly took faithful, patient, persistent teaching to establish 
any kind of a balanced condition among our Indian brotherhood. To 
quote on the general condition of the Church from the Mission report of 
E10: 

“We long to see the day when our people will become stronger 
spiritually, At present there is a-sreat need of the majority of them 
being fed with ‘milk. They are not able to understand the deeper things 
of God. The most of them want to do the right thing, but because of the 
influence under which they were brought up and the deceitful things 
which they had been taught, it is very hard for them to understand that 


44 BUILDING ONS THE ROCK 


it is sin for them to live contrary to the teachings of God so long as it ts 
not known to their leader. When their sins become known and it is 
proved that they are living in sin before God it is not usually hard to 
persuade them to make a confession before the Church. There are a few 
brethren and sisters who have a fair knowledge of right and wrong and 
seem to be very anxious to walk uprightly before God and man.” 


Organization and the Church Conference 


Every opportunity was taken advantage of by the missionaries 
to drill those of our Indian brethren, who proved themselves 
most,’ faithful to ithe’ Church, in” cher “polity and) itneewaysieang 
means of administration and discipline. According to the 1910 Mission 
report definite steps were taken to have three Indian brethren chosen in 
each congregation who could cooperate with the missionary pastor in 
settling difficulties between members and in helping to establish more 
firmly the unity of the different congregations. Three brethren of each 
congregation served in the capacity of deacon and often were able to 
make adjustments without even the pastor’s knowledge. 

In this same year we had the pleasure of having with us the brethren 
j.-o. Shoemaker and)" 5. Eartzlen, who, »with= tie brethren vie C mae 
and P. A. Friesen, formed a committee to draw up rules and discipline to 
be ratified by the Church conference which was to be called the first 
‘Tuesday of January, 1912. All missionaries, all ordained officers, and two 
delegates from each congregation were given the right to vote on all 
auestions which were to be brought up for consideration. Where the 
congregation exceeded fifty members it was entitled to an additional 
delegate and so 
on for every ad- 
ditional fifty or 
fraction thereof. 
Unfortunately our 
visiting brethren 
could not stay in 
India to attend 
the first confer- 
ence, for which 
they had helped 
to lay plans. 

The first con- 
ference marked 





The Beginning of a Christian Community 


BULLE DINGZON CH BROCK 45 


a new era in the history of the 
Church. It was held in the Bethel 
meeting house of our Balodgahan 
station. The membership of each 
congregation was informed that a 
conference, called in Hindi “Kanfar- 
ens,’ would be called at the time set. 
But the members did not know how 
to vote for delegates without a great 
deal of instruction. A private, per- 
sonal vote was taken in most of the 
congregations. Tally was kept by 
the ministering brethren who repair- 
ed to the council room. We were of 
the opinion that there were a few 
who would not be able to give an 
opinion because of their ignorance. 
One poor convert who had come 
from the shepherd caste was illiterate 
and seemed in some respects to be 
weakminded. His eyes were dim. 
When he came into the room to give 
his vote he hesitated for a little while 
but gave his vote for such as were 
unmistakably the best qualified to 
represent the congregation. This is A Heathen God to be Superseded 
also true of others whose intelligence 

we greatly questioned. The membership of the Church at this time (1912) 
numbering over four hundred eighty, the lay delegation in conference 
equalled that of the missionaries. 

Conference assembled, the conference sermon was preached, and the 
Constitution and Discipline was presented for ratification. In discussing 
the details it was soon noticed that the Indian brethren were inclined to 
insist on greater rigidness in regard to some matters of discipline than 
were provided for in the Constitution. But after there had been only a 
few minor changes made the document was ratified as a whole and the 
next step was to have it ratified by each individual congregation. In the 
discussion of the other questions which were presented some members 
had to be limited in speech or they would have taken up all the time and 
not given oppcrtunity for others who really had something to say. The 





46 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


Indian members of conference had to be drilled somewhat in parliamentary 
rules. When one question was discussed it was moved that we table the 
question for the present. The then acting Indian Secretary brother asked. 
which table the question should be placed upon to the amusement of al’ 
PIescut, 

The Church conference has become an annual occurrence. The 
number of Indian delegates has increased considerably, so much so, that 
they outnumber the missionaries but we are confident by this time that 
Conference administration is safe in their hands. For they have demon- 
strated many times that they are willing to yield to better judgment in all 
things and be governed by the teachings of the Word of God and by those 
whose experience and consecrated judgment have rendered them worthy 
of their respect. As a rule all questions brought for discussion are ably 
discussed and weighed from all sides before being placed in the hands of 
the resolutions committee. Neither are they slow to suggest any changes 
which should be made in the resolutions which are presented for decision 
by the committee. The conference work means much toward strengthening 
the Church and helping the Indian brethren and sisters to realize that 
they are a part of the Church and are recognized as such. All have the 
opportunity of discussing various questions that come up in assembled 
conference. We are glad to note the prayerful interest the delegates take 
in the various activities of the conference. 

A few of the characteristic questions which have been discussed anc 
decided upon at different times are as follows: 

1. What can we do to better the spiritual condition of the Church? 

Resolved, that we try to indoctrinate the people of the various 
congregations 
and urge that 
family wor- 
ship be carried 
on in all Chris- 
tian homes. 


We should be 
good examples 
of holy living 
ourselves and 
strive to create 


a hunger after 





righteousness. 


Homes of Evangelists 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 47 





Co 


Shwe ee or 


A Mohammedan Mosque in Dhamtari 


2. How should we provide for the poor of the Church? 


Resolved, that in all the congregations the brethren devote much 
time to prayer that the Holy Spirit may direct as to who should be 
ordained to the office of Deacon. Note. Discussion of the Scriptural 
manner of providing for the poor resulted in the above resolution to ordain 
deacons. 

3. What Christian holidays should the Church observe? 


Resolved, that we observe Christmas, New Year, Good Friday, 
Pentecost, and Thanksgiving day. All to be kept as whole holidays. 


Note. In a recent conference suggestions were given as to the manner of 
observing the days. 


4. What plan can we as a Church carry out by which the Kingdom 
of Christ may be made known to more souls about us? 

Resolved, that in order that the Church may do some definite work a 
brother be chosen by the ministerial meeting and that he be set apart 
as a colporteur or evangelist and that his living and work be arranged for 


48 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


by the ministerial meeting. (See separate discussion on Home Mission 
work.) 

5. What punishment shall be given to a church-member who defames 
his neighbors with abusive language by calling them witches, etc.? 

Resolved, that we urge the different congregations to be more 
ready to expel such members from the Church or to punish those who 
persist in defaming others according to section C. Page 12 of the Discipline 
which in part reads as follows: “Adhering to witchcraft or falsely blaming 
another of being a witch or wizard shall be considered grave faults and 
such persons shall be dealt with as offenders by the Church.” 

6. If an officer of the Church be expelled, will his office be given him 
when he is again received into membership? 

Resolved, that if an officer is expelled because of sin he shall not be 
given his office when reuniting with the Church but after sufficient 
time of pure and consecrated Christian living he may again be chosen 
for the office by his congregation which may be ratified by Conference. 
If he is expelled the second time his office shall never again be given him. 

7. Shall we have a Sunday School Conference? 

A resolution was passed favoring and a committee was appointed. 

8. How get rid of)tébacco in the Church? 

Resolved, that we consider that tobacco defiles the body and does it: 
positive harm. According to I Cor. 3:17 we ought not to make use of 
any unclean thing. Any member of the Church who after having beer 
fully taught and warned still persists in the’ use of tobacco shall be 
considered according to the discipline of Conference as an offender in 
the Church and shall be dealt with by the Church Committee of the 
congregation of which he is a member. 


Church Activities 


Sunday schools were regularly conducted from the beginning 
of the Mission. According to one of the conference questions definite 
steps were taken to organize a Sunday School Conference. This was in 
the Church Conference of Jan. 6th, 1914, and Sunday School Conference 
has been held annually ever since. Great interest is taken in all the 
questions brought up for discussion and the attendance is larger than at 
the regular Church Conference. The former are held on Sunday while 
the latter are held on a set day of the week. 

Later the Young People’s Meetings were established and as far as 
possible put under the leadership of the Indian brethren and _ sisters. 
They formed the majority of all committees and had their share of 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 49 


decisions in the choice of subjects and have always taken a keen interest 
in open discussions. Both brethren and sisters are permitted to express 
themselves. 

The weekly prayer-meetings have been a regular feature of Church 
activity. They have always meant much to the Christian community. 
In some of the communities where the congregations are large several 
cottage prayer-meetings are held on the same evening of the week. Where 
the congregations are small they meet either in the central worshipping 
place or in the homes of the members. There have been times when such 





Sankra Church 


meetings ran far into the night and when the spirit of prayer took hold 
of all who attended. 

Teachers’ meetings are held regularly. At different times special 
3ible classes were conducted for those who felt the need of Bible study. 
On several occasions classes of converts were called together to study 
carefully the essentials of the Christian faith, after they had been otherwise 
instructed and received into the Church. One cannot give too much Bible 
teaching to these first generation converts. 

The Annual Bible Conference has been a recognized activity of the 
Church since 1915. The Church Conference annually appoints a committee 
to arrange for it. Previous to this time as far back as 1907 the Mission 
had regularly arranged for special meetings for deepening the spiritual 


50 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


life of the *Church.:. They proved a* great blessing each year. Here tie 
differen, congregations came together to study the Word as it applies to 
their relations to God and man, to receive inspiration and encouragement, 
anu to go hack to their stations with a feeling that to live and work for 
the Lord is worthwhile. As far as possible able teachers and speakers 
were chosen to have charge of the different meetings which were generally 
something as follows: Prayer-meeting at sunrise; general meeting at 8:30 
A. M.; noon intermission from 10:30 to 2:00 P. M.; sectional meetings 
of different groups including children, young men, young women, older 
men, older women, and lepers if they were present; at 3:00 P. M. a general 
mecting; at 6:00 P. M. a half hour of special prayer service followed bv 
an evangelistic service. In 1910 during such an evening prayer servic 
the spirit of intercession seemed to be present in a special manner. The 
leader read a short passage of Scripture and all knelt in prayer. A number 
were ready to lead in prayer and the time was too short for those who 
desired to respond in turn. After singing a verse of song the leader told 
the congregation that we should not quench the Spirit but that as many 
as felt led might pray. At once every voice went up in simultaneous 
prayer. Jhere was no disorder for God was in the midst. Prayer finished, 
many confessed their sins and others were reconciled to each other. We 
have never seen quite the same demonstration since, yet who were we 
that we could withstand God? 


Ordinations 


The first great need along this line was for deacons who 
could help in caring for the poor and serve as councilors with the people 
in time of difficulty. At first the brotherhood did not think there were 
brethren who were qualified for this responsible work. But steps were 
taken according to the Church Constitution. For several weeks previous 
in the regular services the matter was brought to the notice of the several 
congregations. The pastors explained what the qualifications of a deacon 
should be. When the votes were cast they showed that the matter had 
been given very careful and prayerful consideration. The members 
considered neither former caste nor position but chose those who were 
exemplary in their lives and able for the work. We have every reason 
to believe that God honored their choice for with few exceptions our 
deacon brethren have proved themselves worthy of the confidence of the 
Church. 

Up to the present time the Church has not felt that the time for 
ordaining ministers has come. The subject is being seriously considered 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 51 


and while we missionaries are of the opinion that fellow ministers could 
and should be ordained from among our Indian brethren yet we are 
patiently waiting and praying that the Spirit may have His way with the 
Church in this matter. Perhaps those whom we think well qualified for 
the work would not be God’s choice. In His good time we know He 
will bring it to pass. We, however, feel that the time is very near and 
the question which lies before us is, When they are ordained will the 
Church demand their whole time and fully support them or will she 
consider them as religious leaders, one of their number, and expect. them 
to make at least part of their own living? 

An Indian ministry will also imply an Indian bishopric at some future 
time. May God grant that this may also be brought about. We are 
hoping and praying for that also. 


Home Mission Work 


For at least three or four years before 1916 regular Thanksgiving 
services were held and special collections in money and _ produce 
were taken. The people prepared for the offering by saving up for weeks 
ahead. The Church was asked what should be done with the money and 
Conference finally decided to place it in the hands of a special committee 
whose duty it should be to establish a Home Mission station. The 
collections taken at Thanksgiving should be placed in a Home Mission 
fund. In 1916 a house in the village of Mogragahan was secured and Bro. 
Agnu and his wife, Ganga, became the first Home Missionaries of the 
India Mennonite Church. They labored faithfully among the people of 
the surrounding villages. After several years they were transferred to 
another evangelistic station and Bro. Mohan and wife took their places 
and have labored there every year since. The result has been that a 
number of people have become Christians through their instrumentality. 
But after they had accepted Christ they found it hard to make a living 
among the village people and were compelled to move to other parts 
but the efforts of the workers were not in vain and we still hope to 
establish a congregation in that village. 

Funds accumulated and Conference in 1922 decided to open another 
Home Mission station and purchase sufficient land in connection with 
it to support a worker and his family in order to enable him to labor free 
from any further financial help by the Conference. During the year 1924 
the land was purchased and with it a good house and compound in the 
village of Potiadi about five miles west of Dhamtari. At the present time 
the Committee are in search of a suitable couple to locate in this station. 


52 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


We praise the Lord for His leadings in this matter and believe He will 
lead the Church to greater activity along this line. It will be of interest 
to the reader to know that the Church in India has given for Home Mission 
work both in Thanksgiving offerings and in special collections a total 
of nearly one thousand five hundred and twelve dollars. 

We consider the village Sunday schools a phase of the Home Mission 
work of the Church since they are organized and conducted entirely by 
the Indian brotherhood. In each congregation the membership, both men 
and women, is divided into groups of workers who at stated times go 
to the surrounding villages and bring Gospel messages to the people. 
They use either the Sunday school lessons or printed Bible lessons such as 
are printed in the Hindi language. The 1923 report shows that the six 
congregations of the Mission were conducting fifty-two village Sunday 
schools. All these except those conducted in the sub-evangelistic stations 
of the Mission were under the auspices of the Indian Church. 

The Home Mission work has intensified the interest of the Church 
in evangelizing the people of India. -It has also» Shown us” the 
futurer possibilities. of the’ @hurch:; “We try. to» encourage sthemainwever, 
way to strive to reach the people of every class and bring them to Christ. 
This has developed another Home Mission activity which although it is 
not taken over by the Conference yet every Christian is enlisted in this 
service. It is what is known as the Evangelistic Campaign. A few weeks 
each year are set apart for the purpose of intense evangelism among the 
people of the villages. Special prayer and Bible study precede these 
special efforts and groups of workers are formed according to their 
ability. The purpose of the work is to bring as many people as possible 
to a definite decision to accept Christ. It is also a means of deepening 
the spiritual life of the Church and of awakening her to the needs of the 
non-Christian people around. It also brings the Gospel before the people 
in a definite way. 


A Self-supporting Church 


From the very beginning of our mission work the Church was 
taught to give for the Lord’s work. The children of the orphanages and 
the lepers gladly cut their meals or daily gave a certain portion of their 
uncooked food in order that some worthy cause might be supported. They 
thus helped to support the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Tract 
and book Society and contributed help for flood sufferers in China, famine 
sufferers in other areas of India, and for the work of the Church of which 
they were members. After our young men and women married and 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 53 


established homes of their own they regularly contributed to the Sunday 
collections and submitted to systematic “taxation” for keeping up the 
graveyards and regular Church expenses. Thanksgiving day was under- 
stood from the beginning to be a day of. giving. Tithing has been held 
up as the Bible standard of systematic giving. 

‘Therefore the Church has been gradually brought to the place where 
she realizes her financial obligations to support activities for establishing 
and promoting the Cause of Christ. All hymn-books, Sunday school 
lesson-helps, Bibles and other Christian books found in our Christian 
homes were bought by them. The cost of lamps for the churches and 
oil to burn in them, the support of the caretakers of the church buildings, 
the expenses relative to the upkeep of the graveyards, and the cost of the 
implements for digging graves, etc., were all met by the Church. In 
this the Church has been self-supporting. The brotherhood gave liberally 
according te their means toward the erection of houses of worship. 

Our Conference records show that the Church has given in collections 
for maintenance about one thousand six hundred and fifty dollars. Beside 
this a considerable amount was donated by our Indian brotherhood for 
charitable work by way of supporting poor in institutions, etc. While it 
must be remembered that the missionaries also gave their share in these 
collections which was proportionatel’ larger than our Indian brethren 
were able to give yet we believe most of them have done what they could. 

We believe that a greater day is dawning for the Church in India. 
We pray that by the grace of God she may initiate and support greater 
activities in the future than she has done in the past. We pray for and 
are expecting a strong body of Christ in this dark land. 





A House at the Hills, Darjeeling 


CHAPTER, 


DIRECT EVANGELISM 


The underlying purpose of every department of the Mission is 
evangelistic. One who has been in the country a number of years and 
has had the privilege of working in different departments of the Mission 
and is able to take a view of the whole situation soon perceives that they 
compose a great whole, the underlying purpose of which is to make Christ 
known to dying souls and lead them to His feet. They represent a veritable 
bee-hive of busy workers all concerned with their respective duties yet 
each having an important part in evangelistic activity. The daily Bible 
teaching in all our schools, Bible reading in the Leper Asylum, the prayer 
and preaching hour in the medical dispensaries, and the morning devotion 
with workmen and servants are all effective means of evangelism. 


Years of Preparation for Direct Evangelism 

The efforts of our pioneer missionaries to prepare the orphans for 
evangelism are 
highly praise- 
worthy. They 
carefully and 
patiently organ- 
ized them into 
classes for Bi- 
bile, psa diys. 
They had vis- 
ions of what 
these boys and 
girls should be- 
come. But they 
must often have 
asked them- 
selves the ques- 


tion, “Can any 





Christian Workers’ Family in Ghatula District 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK = 


Sankra Evangelistic Station 





good thing come out of 


these Chattisgarhis?’ Many 
of them were ignorant, others 
dull, and still others irrespon- 
sible. It would take years of 
careful discipline and whole- 
some, persistent teaching to 
prepare them even in a small 
way. Could these same pio- 
neer brethren and sisters be 
on the field now and have the 
privilege of again associating 
with those whom they so 
faithfully taught they would 
feel more than repaid for their 
painstaking efforts. 


Beside teaching they also 
used them wherever possible 
to evangelize their own peo- 
ple. The missionaries often 
visited the home villages of 
the boys and girls with whom 
they would hold meetings with 
the villagers, thus giving them 
a taste of the work and a vis- 
ion of the great opportunities 
they would have in the future 
when they would carry the 
Message to their own people. 
These boys and girls heartily 
testified to what God had 
done for them. This served 
as a means of practical train- 
ing and gave the young peop'e 
a contact which would be of 
service to them in future years. 


As time and opportunity 
afforded the missionaries aiso 
visited the villages from which 
famine sufferers came. They 
were always accorded a glad 
welcome. They would take 


56 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


with them some of the Indian Christians who gladly witnessed for Christ. 
Many times when they would enter a village someone would come run- 
ning and ask them to be his guest during their stay. In this way he would 
try to pay back in part the kindness which was shown him in the famine 
kitchen or in the medical dispensary. This confidence soon bore fruit in 
requests for village schools and religious teachers. It increased the re- 
sponsibilities of the missionaries and led to more definite work of preparing 
evangelists and Bible women for the great task before them. 


The Indian Workers 


Our “Indian, “workers” are. ‘classed vas evaneelists =) Gani 
women. They preach and teach the Gospel in the bazaars, streets of the 
villages, in the homes and schools. They also sell the Scriptures and 
Christian literature, and distribute tracts. It has been found better to sell 
all literature except tracts at a small cost rather than give it free of charge 
as it gives it a value and is better cared for by the people» |The price 
they pay dces not nearly cover the cost of printing. Better a few bought 
at a small cost and often read than more given free, only to be torn to 
bits and’ scattered by the roadside. One of our most active high-caste 
Christians was converted through reading a New Testament which was 
placed in his hands by one of our Indian brethren. 

The Bible women are married and care for their own homes. They 
visit heathen women in the towns and villages and teach them the Word 
of lile. They, also, as opportunity affords, teach them to sew, to read 
and write, and other things which will be useful to them. In this way 
they gain entrance into many homes. The Bible women also have the 
privilege of being exemplary home-makers. The non-Christian people 
about them see the difference between the Christian families and their 
own and are more willing to listen to their teaching. 

Most of the workers have come from the orphanages. They were 
reared under missionary supervision and given Christian training from 
childhood and had a fair knowledge of the Scriptures before being taken 
on in the work. A very few have come from other denominations and 
have made our Church their choice. A few have come from among our 
village converts and have by their conduct and qualifications, proved them- 
selves worthy. It is more difficult to free such as they from their former 
superstitions. Most of the workers’ have also received training in some 
other kind of work and would be able to make a living if left to their 
own resources. A few are serving as evangelists at a real sacrifice and 
we appreciate the spirit they manifest. 


RINIVYH “JOoyrs FIq1g 


sees aN 
PO EOL EO LL ELS SLO LEE EE AEROS 











58 Mig SBUILDING‘ON. THE ROCK 


Work of the Main Stations 

Because of their faith we hold our first colporteurs in grateful 
memory. One afterward became a leper and died in the leper home. 
Another who is still living is well advanced in years and can tell 
us some interesting experiences of his work. Others have gone to their 
eternal reward. Dhamtari was the only main station for a number of 
the first years of the Mission. Next was Rudri; then Balodgahan; 
three native states to open main station but up to the present time we have 
three native states to open main stations but to the present time we have 
not been successful in opening permanent work. We are still hopeful that 
they may become a reality. The evangelistic work differs somewhat 
in nature according to the location. In Dhamtari a little bookshop was 
maintained for several years in which phenyle, a disinfectant, was sold 
and the worker gave out tracts and sold books and Scripture portions. 
In this way he did a great deal of good. The evangelists during most of 
the years visited the Dhamtari and other village market places, met 
the trains as they came and went, preached in the hospital to the patients, 





Sister Burkhard and Bible Women (1910) 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 59 


and visited the surrounding villages giving the Word of Life to the people. 
The Bible women visited the zenanas where women were kept in seclusion. 
They also visited the homes of the common people and wherever 
opportunity afforded sang Christian hymns, read the Word, and prayed 
with the people. Our Bible women were happy when the missionary sisters 
could accompany them. During the twenty-five years several of our 
missionary sisters were able to devote a large part of their time to this 
work. They and the Bible women generally received a warm welcome 
into the homes of the people. If they were not welcomed it was generally 
due to prejudice born of ignorance. 

The evangelistic work of the other main stations was carried on 
among the people of the surrounding villages. The large gatherings of 
people at the bazaar places and especially at morais, that is, when the god 
of the place is reinstated in the worship of the people, afforded good 
oppo.tunities for preaching. The workers found their work most fruitful 
when they could follow up their public service by seeking out inquirers 
and quietly talking to them about Christ and His power to save. During 
the quiet evening hours they often had opportunities of leading a soul 
into the Kingdom. Both they and the Bible women have been faithfully 
serving the Lord according to their capacity and slowly but surely planting 
the Gospel seed in the hearts of the people. 

In 1903 over two hundred thirty-eight portions of Scripture and one 
New Testament were sold to non-Christians. During the twenty-five 
years the sales have steadily increased. In a big two-day bazaar a 
missionary and four Indian workers sold four hundred books in two days. 
People have come of themselves and asked for certain Christian books 
or for Scriptures. A Mohammedan came into the office of one of the 
missionaries living in Sundarganj and asked for an Urdu copy of the 
Bible. Not having one on hand at the time he showed him one written 
in the Roman characters. The Mohammedan reverently took the book in 
both hands, raised it to his lips and kissed it. He then said, “I have great 
reverence for this book and for Jesus of whom it teaches.’ Another, a 
Hindu, sent to the missionary of another station for a copy of the Psalms, 
writing in good English, “I consider the Psalms the most beautiful religious 
teaching we have in the world.” Another Indian who is a leader among 
his people who are known as Kabir Panthis has bought a copy of most 
of the different books our evangelists take for sale. He seems to be an 
earnest seeker after the Truth and we have come to know that he teaches 
what he reads to his people. Through the seed thus sown from the main 
stations the surrounding people have come to understand in part the 


60 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


Message but the fetters of caste are holding them back, else doubtless 
many more would openly confess their Savior. 


The Sub-evangelistic Stations 


In nearly every instance, the real test of the Christian worker 
and his wife comes when they are called upon to move to an outstation 
where they must live alone among the heathen people and regularly visit 
surrounding homes, villages, and market-places, and daily dispense the 
Bread of Life to an ignorant, superstitious heathen people. Such workers 
are generally put on their own honor. Each month the men come to the 
main station for their allowances and bring with them the monthly report 
of both themselves and their wives, if they are Bible women. They have 
a list of the surrounding villages of their subdistrict and have in a general 
way their work outlined for them by their missionary manager. 

The home life of the worker in the substation means much to the 
work. The family is generally stronger, healthier, cleaner, more intelligent, 
better behaved, 
more refined, and 
more exemplary in 
many ways. But 
they) must. ssulter 
many inconvenien- 
ces because of the 
prejudice of the peo- 
ple. They may not 
be allowed to take 
water from the vil- 
lage well. The vil- 
lage barber will not 
shave the men. They 
will often be snub- 
bed by the village 
people whom _ they 
are seeking to win 
to Christ. But they 
patiently suffer it 
all. While some of 
them are prone to 
become discouraged 
we thank God for 





Sister Lapp and Her Bible Women (1924) 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 61 


those who manifest Christian fortitude and faithfully plod on in their work 
in spite of the many hindrances which are thrown in their way. They 
need our closer companionship. 

As is stated in the discussion of the medical work, the workers in the 
substations are allowed to keep in stock simple remedies with which 
to treat common ailments of the village people. This adds a great deai 
to their influence. One of our substations was visited by a Government 
Sub-Assistant Surgeon who is very much in sympathy with mission work 
and who also is a Christian. He afterward said to the manager, “Your 
worker in ~- station is quite a little doctor. He has some very good 
remedies there and has a good influence among the people.” 








oa oe oe ihe i | 


Village Sunday School, Balodgahan 


One hardship which our outstation workers have to undergo is to 
have to put their children in the boarding schools of the Mission and have 
them away from them a great part of the time. They have better school 
and other advantages but are deprived of their home life. But they 
willingly make the sacrifice and also pay according to their financial ability 
for the training of their children. 


62 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


The outstations are Bijnapuri, Gopalpuri, Bagtarai, Bhatgaon, in the 
Dhamtari district; Chikli in the Balodgahan district; Nawagaon and 
Tengua in the Sankra district; Seodi in the Mahodi district; and Gatasilli 
and Kaspur in the Ghatula district. A few of the above outstations 
such as Gariaband and Mahodi, were later either closed as in the case of 
the former or became main mission stations, as in the case of the latter. 


Touring 


Each year special efforts have been put forth to reach outlying 
villages which have not been regularly visited by the workers. The people 
as a rule are more receptive in these villages and listen with interest to the 
messages they hear. Because of their illiteracy we use pictures very 
largely to illustrate what we teach them. The large Sunday school pictures 
are used very generally throughout the Mission. The small cards are 
also distributed among the children. We find them very helpful in the 
Sunday school as well as the district work. We cannot thank our friends 
enough for the many cards and pictures they send us each year. Even 
more of them will be greatly appreciated. 

Each station has an equipment of tents and camp furniture. At 
touring time, which is during the cool season as a rule, the tents and 
furniture are repaired, folded up, loaded into carts together with the 
necessary food and other provisions for a week or more of camping and 
the carts are ordered to the camping place. The missionaries and workers 
plan the visits to the villages surrounding the camp in order to visit several 
duriny the day and also spend the evening at some central place where 
by lantern light messages are given to the people. A goodly supply of 
literature is taken and offered for sale at each meeting held. Oftentimes 
tours are made to villages where missionaries have never been. Sometimes 
we come to places where the Indians have never seen the face of a white 
‘man. On one such occasion when entering a village the people became 
frightened and all ran away and hid in the bushes. It was only by patient, 
persistent effort that they could be induced to return to the little group 
‘of visitors. After they knew the real object of- the visit they became 
friendly and asked that their visitors come back again and tell them the 
‘Gospel story. If only we could make such visits more frequently. If 
the tours last over several weeks, camp is broken several times and the 
‘tents are set in several central places. As we tour thus our hearts burn 
within us for the people whom we visit. They are in gross ignorance 
regarding the Way of Life. They are receptive. Some of them 
acknowledge that the religion we represent gives them more than what 


om et 





BUILDING ON THE ROCK 63. 


Mahodi Evangelistic Station 


they have. But what. can we 
do by visiting such places 
but onee a year? ..We can 
only pray that God may in 
His own -way through the 
Holy Spirit make the message 
clear to them. 


The Bible Normal 


During the first years of 
regular evangelistic work the 
missionaries did what they 
could to give the workers Bi- 
ble knowledge. Later it was 
deemed advisable to place in 
the workers’ hands helpful 
books and assign certain 
Scripture portions for them 
to read during the year. For 
several weeks during this time 
the workers were gathered to- 
gether for the purpose of re- 
viewing what they had read. 
Examinations were then giv- 
en and new assignments made 
for the following year. These 
annual normals have been 
held for the last sixteen or 
seventeen years. At first both 
school teachers and_~ other 
wo.kers were enrolled in the 
Normal but during the last 
yea.s, sepaiate normals have 
been held for them in order to 
give them work better adapt- 
ed to their separate needs. 
The workers are divided into 
three classes according to 
mentality and years of serv- 
ice. Those who pass the best 


64 | BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


grades are promoted from the lowest to the highest class year by year. 
The result is that those of the lowest classes show less ability and if they 
fail regularly in their examinations they are liable to be excused from the 
work unless they possess other qualifications which justify their being 
retained. Each year grade cards are filled out which show the quality of 
work done in Normal, their faithfulness and ability in general, and their 
spiritual standing. These serve as a criterion for the future. The fol- 
lowing is a sample of their grade cards. 


CHRISTIAN WORKER’S GRADE CARD 


Naimer Of AVOTK eI Glee etait tay CN Sake ces Ge eee Date iy c7.. Satta anne aieee 
SS EALIOT spyagehed 5) ce seal See ering fa Sno ae 
Classification (Advanced, Middle, or Primary) 
1. Work. 
PresentwAllowances () sG> ©) 3-year eeter ce ce: 
Ability Basis eotwLOQ i a wey aay 
Application Oe er Pa aes ee 1s a 
Voluntary Effort ee aN raat eee 
Totalteog ie 
2. Character. 
Spirituality eg Vice IER Ps cene te Me ih 
Freedom from bad habits nl oe a ieetas, Dazsteta 2 aoa 
Readiness: to carry. out instructions: 6 py mee ee 
otal Sane 
3. Normal Subjects 
‘ “ec ‘ 
Et aie thal Lesa hae tee atone WARE Regs Soiane: 
Pee ere Aree Ths aS ost iee ig SW ae oe 
St Mea nets. abs eel are Potala eee 


6 0 eke so) 8° OF 010.0: 0-6) -o 0, Uéim 4) o (07 a) Orme n le) 2) 6's 0 10'G 6 


Grandso6tal a =e 


Note. The missionary in charge of workers fills in the grades in 
sections 1 and 2. Section 3 is filled by those in charge of the Normal. 


The workers in order to secure a passing grade which would make 
them eligible to promotion must secure a minimum number of 140 marks 
in any one section and a grand total of not less than 450 marks. 

This e¢ard after it is filled out is @signed@by the Secretary gore ene 
Evangelistic Committee and handed to the manager of the worker whose 
name appears on the card. 

[t will also be of interest at this juncture to add a few general rules 
which apply to the evangelists and Bible women. ; 

i. They shall devote a number of hours a day for five days a week 
to the service. At times of special effort they shall devote all the time 


possible. 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 65 


2. If workers are not able to attend Normal because of sickness, or 
some other valid reason, arrangements can be made to give them their 
examinations in their stations. 

3. The workers shall be granted two weeks’ vacation each year, the 
time to be arranged for with their respective managers. 

4+. No workers can personally engage in any private enterprise 
while in service as a worker. Should any one have private interests he 
must care for them through hired agents or other members of the family. 





Workers at Balodgahan 


Note.—Some own land and other property. We encourage them to invest 
their savings, but not to the hurt of the work in which they are engaged. 

5. All workers are required to refrain from the use of drugs, tobacco, 
liquor, or harmful practices of any kind which will hinder their influence 
as Christians. 

The Bible Training School 

The need of such an institution as the Bible Training School lay on 

the hearts of some of the missionaries for some time previous to the actual 


66 BUILDING ON, THE’ ROCK 


opening in 1908. Among the first students were a blind man, one who was 
half blind, and another who was lame; but it was a beginning. None of 
them were well educated but they were willing to apply themselves. The 
courses of study at first covered periods of nine months each year tor 
three years. They included Bible and Church History, courses in Old 
and New Testament Study, Scripture Memory Work, Methods of Christian 
Work, Comparative Religions, Singing, etc. From the beginning they 
were required to do practical work whenever possible during the school 
year. The teaching staff was small and the missionaries who had charge 
also had other duties which took a part of their time. It meant training 
future possible 
teachers as well as Fae 
future workers. 
After shifting 
about a great deal, 
Ghatula was finally 
chosen as the per- 
manent home for 
the Bible School. It 
is now housed in a 
suitable building and 
although the attend- 
ance has never been 
more than twenty- 
seven any one year, 
yet during the years 
since 1908, ninety- 
six Indian young 
men and women 
have attended for 
longer or shorter 
periods. A few were 
able to take only 
very elementary 
work and many of 
them are not* at 
present employed as 
workers but we be- 
lieve they have been 





Hindu God Worshiped by the People, Hindu Temple, Dhamtari 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 67 


helped spiritually and will carry the influence of the school with them 
in their lives and labors. 

At the present time the courses of study cover a period of four years 
of six months each which provide six months’ study and six months’ 
work in some station or substation. This same method is followed by 
some other missions and has been found very satisfactory. We praise God 
for the building for which brethren in the homeland have so liberally 
donated. We believe God will bless the school to the future good of the 
evangelistic work of our field. 


“My Presence Shall Go With Thee.” 


Detailed statistics regarding the evangelistic work can not be given. 
Suffice it to say that 
there were no evan- 
Pelstsq@olem bible 
women in 1899, 
Twelve years after- 
ward thirty-four men 
and women were 
giving their time to 
the work. It is with 
feelings -thaty we 
gratefully remember 
the services of those 
who have been call- 
ccedrOnte tine «to 
eternity. We men- 
tioned Bro. Barsan 
who became a leper 
and succumbed to 
the dread _ disease. 


Bro. Yohan con- 
tracted tuberculosis 


and passed away as 
a result, after years 
of faithful and fruit- 
ful service. Patras, 
his brother, was tak- 
en in the same way. 
He, too, was an 





Workers at Mahodi 


63 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


earnest and effective winner of soufs. Elizabeth, who came to us from 
another mission as a leper became an inmate of the Leper Home and was 
very earnest in her endeavors to teach the Gospel to the other poor 
stricken inmates. She died happy in her Savior. 

Sister Sevti was a faithful Bible woman and wite of our deacon, 
Brother Parsadi. She was suddenly taken by death after only a short 
Iness. Sister Chherkin was another. Spinal meningitis was the direct 
cause. She had served her Master faithfully for a number of years. We 
cannot understand why nearly all of these and man, other faithful ones 
had to be taken in the prime of life. We could name many more who have 
been called to what seem to us untimely graves. We would not forget 
the living both older and younger who have dedicated their lives to the 
Cause of Christ and are seeking to bring the Gospel to their fellow 
countrymen. God has saved them by His grace and He will not leave them 
without reward. They are worthy of your interest, hearty support, and 
prayers. Some day they, with us, will come before the Throne bringing 
their sheaves with them and they too will hear the welcome plaudit, “Well 
done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast ‘been faithful over a few 
things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the soy 
ot thy Lord.” | 





An Abandoned Hindu Temple 


Gi AgeT TR VT 


CARING FOR THE HOMELESS 


The Boys’ and Girls’ Orphanages, the Widows’ Homes, the Old Men’s 
Promer themitiohiocuool, Llostel, and school Kitchens) are: classed” as 
Charitable Institutions. | 

An institution at any time is a poor substitute for a.good home. A 
Christian institution in this country is much better than the homes from 
which their inmates have come. Many of them have not had sufficient to 
eat and to wear and besides this they knew nothing of Christianity and its 
teachings. 

As a result of our Mission having opened work at the beginning of a 
severe famine much of our work has been with institutions. The 
Orphanages were started even before the close of the famine. A home for 
the children was one of the first buildings to be erected. When building 
was begun only one hundred children were planned for, but before the end 
of the first year there were one hundred eighty children to care for which 
made it necessary for the building to be enlarged very soon after being 
completed. The building was so constructed that the east half of it faced 
south and the west half faced north. The boys were accommodated in the 
west half of the building and the girls in the east half. At first they had to 
eat, sleep and have their school all in the same rooms which caused much 
confusion and delay in the work of the day. The children also could not 
all be in school at the same time. Half of them worked in the morning 
and the other half went to school and in the afternoon they changed about. 
This plan of part of them working while the others were in school was kept 
up for a number of years due to the fact that sufficient teachers were not 
available for the size of staff required. The children in the higher classes 
helped to teach those in the lower classes. Helpers who could be depended 
upon to supervise work outside of school also were very difficult to obtain 
which made the work very hard for the missionaries in those first years. 

When famine work closed and funds no longer came for that purpose 
a stable means of support for the orphans had to be provided. It was 
determined that fifteen dollars would support one child for a year. So the 
Board was notified and a plea made to the people at home to support 


70 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


individual orphans. This met with a hearty response and the needed 
support for the children was secured. The sum required at the present 
time for support is about double the above amount. 


Planning for the Girls’ Orphanage 


It was soon seen that in order to do the best possible for the children 
the boys and girls could not both be accommodated on the same grounds. 
The situation was explained to the Board and Church and a plea made for 
funds to build a Girls’ Orphanage which meant the opening of a new 
station. There was a hearty response, which resulted in the opening of 
Rudri station. The girls moved to their new home on May 28, 1903. At 
that time there were two hundred seventeen in the Girls’ Orphanage and 
two hundred eighty in the Boys’ Orphanage. Before this time some of the 
children had to sleep in the verandas of the bungalows and wherever they 
could find shelter in the rainy season, for they were so overcrowded in their 
living quarters. The removal of the girls to the new station did not even 
give room enough for the boys to be comfortably housed in the first 
buildings. After the school house was built many of the boys slept in it. 
A line of houses originally built for servants’ quarters furnished a place 
later on for a number of them to live. 

Ail the Orphanage buildings were very near the bungalows where the 
missionaries lived, which in many respects was very objectionable. It 
brought the children’s playground right to the doors of two bungalows as 
the first building was between them. For many years it was thought that 
the Orphanage should be removed elsewhere and finally after it had been 
there twenty years it was accomplished. A new building was erected in the 
west side of the same compound in which the boys are now living. This 
is very satisfactory. Much of the old building is now being used for other 
purposes, part of it for Sunday school and prayer meeting rooms, part of 
it for a garage and part for work rooms. 

In 1906 it was thought best, for various reasons, to interchange the 
Boys’ and Girls’ Orphanages. In May the boys moved to Rudri and the 
girls to Dhamtari. In June, 1910, they were returned to their former 
buildings. With the exception of those four years the boys have always 
been at Dhamtari. 


Rudri Sold 


The girls lived at Rudri until 1912 when the Government acquired ‘the 
Mission property there for Headquarters for canal construction which 
required it to be closed as a Mission station. Much time was spent in 


BULLE DING ONG THE eROCK 71 


looking for a location for the Girls’ Orphanage. No suitable place could 
be found and as moving the Orphanage by a certain time was imperative, 
it was finally decided to locate it at Balodgahan. Plans for building were 
made at once but as there was insufficient time to build before the girls had 
to be moved the cattle stables belonging to the farm were cleaned out, a 
few changes were made, and the girls moved into them. A small building 
Was put up in one corner of the compound where the missionary in charge 
could live near them. The girls lived in this place from May, 1912, to 
june, 1913, when they moved to their permanent quarters. The new 
buildings were planned for sixty girls only, as the number in the Orphanage 
was rapidly decreasing and it seemed then that in a few years all that 
would be required were accommodations for a small boarding of Christian 
girls attending school. In 1918, after the influenza epidemic, it was seen 
that the orphanage should be enlarged. The epidemic being closely 
followed by two famines made it very necessary to have more room. The 
money for this purpose was. generously contributed by friends in 
Pennsylvania. The compound was enlarged to twice its original size and 
a new kitchen, dining room, dormitory and hospital were added. The new 
buildings were ready to occupy in November, 1921. 


Many ot the children were large when they came into the Orphanages 
in 1900 and 1901. By 1906 a number of them were married. There were 
also many deaths in the early years of the Orphanages, due to the physical 
condition of many of the children when they came in. A number of them 
also left on their own accord after they had been in the Orphanages for 
some time. Many more boys than girls left because they became more 
restless and also were better able to take care of themselves outside than the 
girls were. From the above causes the number in the Orphanages gradually 
became less. At the beginning of 1918 these institutions had fewer 
inmates than at any time in their history, there being only about sixty 
girls and thirty boys and about half in each case were children of Christians 
going to school from the Orphanages. After that the numbers began 
increasing which kept on until in 1922 there were two hundred forty-eight 
girls, the highest number ever in the Orphanage. There were two hundred 
seventy-five boys in 1921 which was the highest number of boys since 1903 
when there were five above this number. At present there are one hundred 
ninety-four in the Girls’ Orphanage which includes about seventy girls from 
Christian homes who are attending school from the Orphanage. There are 
one hundred seventy-three boys in the Orphanage including a number of 
boys from Christian homes who are attending the Orphanage School. 





(Still Standing) 


ission 


Idings of the Mi 


t Bui 


Irs 


d one of the F 


1 an 


t Dhamtar 


ing a 


1 Orphanage Build 


igina 


The Or 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 73 


Many hoys have been transferred from the Orphanage to the High 
School Hostel which is a boarding house for pupils who attend the English 
School. It is also classed as one of our Charitable Institutions because of 
the boys being transferred there from the Orphanage, and because other 
Christian boys live there who are unable to pay the entire cost of their 
SubpOL i nete are thirty-cix.Christian:boys.in the ‘fostel: 


Industrial Work 


Industrial work for the boys always has been a problem. It is very 
necessary for them to learn a trade or profession by which they can make 
a living when they marry and leave the Orphanage. A few went to 
school until they became teachers in our own or Government schools. 
Carpentry including cabinet making, gardening, sewing, rope making and 
weaving, all have been taught at different times with more or less success. 
Industrial work is difficult because it is not easy to get good teachers for 
the different industries. It also is very expensive as new pupils are coming 
in almost constantly and each one spoils a certain amount of material in 
learning his work. Besides this a thing produced must have a market and 
must sell at a profit if the work must support itself. Several boys were 
sent away to learn wheel-wrighting and blacksmithing. Several were sent 
to the Government Experimental Farm to learn better methods of farming, 
two have gone to medical school, and one went to learn tailoring under 
better teachers than he would have had at Dhamtari. At the end oi 
twenty-five years bovs from our Orphanages are found in various trades 
and professions. Among them are farmers, carpenters, stone masons, 
blacksmiths, cooks, mechanics, coolies, evangelists, teachers, doctors and 
tailors. While they had the disadvantage of starting out without the help 
of thrifty parents some of them are today found in good circumstances 
though the majority of them are financially poor. 

The girls are taught various occupations more with the view of their 
being able to do the work required of them in their own homes when they 
marry and leave the Institution than with the view of it being a source of 
direct income. A girl in this country can never go away from home to earn 
her own livelihood unless it be as a teacher or in some profession and she 
be in a place where she has protection and close supervision as in a 
wotman’s institution of some kind. Several of the girls took normal 
training, two took nurses’ training; others attempted it and failed. A 
number took the Bible course in our own Bible School. Many of the 
women in this country must work to supplement their husbands’ income. 
What they will be able to do so often depends on what their husband’s 


74 BUILDING“ON YPHE (ROCK 


work is. Girls from our Orphanage can be found in such occupation as 
teaching, nursing, taking care of children, Bible Women’s work, matrons’ 
work, doing housework for the missionaries and others and many of them 
do ordinary coolie work. A few are home-makers only. 


Widows’ Home 


The need for a home for widows and deserted wives had long been 
felt by the missionaries. As early as 1900 the Annual Report contained 
this statement, “We need such a home and it will be opened as the Lord 
opens the way.’’ A woman with two children came in 1911 and asked to be 
taken care of. She was given a place to live with employment and her 
children were sent to the Orphanages. In 1912 a few more dependent 
women came to live in Balodgahan and the missionaries also provided them 
a place to live and something to do. As time passed a few more came. It 
was first mentioned in the Annual Report of 1916 and in 1917 there were 
twelve women in the Home and eleven others had been in it before that 
time. Until then the Home was only partly supported from Mission Funds 
but a plea was then made and support obtained for carrying on the work 
of the Widows’ Home. At the close of 1917 there were nineteen women in 
the Home. In the beginning the women lived in a few huts near the 
Mission bungalow which had been vacated by some of the Christian people 
who went into better quarters. Later a few more huts were added as they 
were needed. About 1918 money was received from America to build a 
Home for the women but before the buildings were finished the number in 
the Home had 
increased t o 
more than fill 
them and the 
old quarters. 
POmMCis -OnmsEt ic 
women remain- 
ed in the old 
buildings that 
were almost 
ready to fall 
down until the 
hot season of 
1924 when new 
mud buildings 
Wiciieseractca: 





Boys Washing Their Teeth 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 75 


The missionary in charge gave much supervision to the work and the 
women themselves did all the work except the wood work and putting on 
the roof. Digging the earth, carrying it from the field, carrying water from 
the village tank, with which to mix the earth into mortar, and laying up the 
mud walls, is laborious work but the women did it all and now have 
comfortable houses to live in. Five cottages were built each of which 
accommodates eight women. Work sheds also were built largely with the 
labor of the women. There is a well inside the women’s compound. The 
compound wall was also built by the women. 

Each woman has her own cooking arrangements. A grain store on a 
small scale is kept for their benefit where at stated times they can get their 





Corner of Girls’ Orphanage, Balodgahan 


provisions. Vegetable sellers are invited to bring in their produce to sell 
to them on bazaar days. Each woman is given a stipulated weekly 
allowance of money with which to support herself. She receives this in 
return for some labor done. The women must be kept busy and feel that 
they are earning the money they receive or discipline can not be maintained 
in the Home. The women who are unable to work have provision made 
for their living but all who are able are required to work. 

Since the beginning of the Home two hundred and two women have 
been admitted, twenty-six have remarried, fifteen died, fourteen left of their 
own accord, preferring their old life to the support and protection they have 


76 BUILDING (ON .THE ROCK 


in the Home. A number of the women have been in the Home the second 
or third time. One wornan was twice married from the Home and twice 
widowed and returned. At the close of 1924 there were one hundred fifteen 
women in the Home. There are forty-three children, nearly all of them 
being widows’ children excepting a few who are orphan babies whose 
mothers died, and they are being taken care of in the Home. Nearly all 
the boys of the Widows are in the Orphanage at Dhamtari. The total 
number is one hundred fifty-eight. All the women now in the Home, except 
two, have been baptized and have united with the Church. 

The Widows’ Home affords good evangelistic opportunities. Many of 
the women’s relatives and friends come to visit them, some from far away 
villages, carrying back with them the story of how the women are being 
cared for and of their having become respectable people. Missionaries or 
others going on tour through the villages often meet the friends of the 
women which readily provides an opening into the homes and hearts of the 
people. They can teach Christ to those who otherwise might not be ready 
to hear them. 

At several of our Mission stations, as a result of the last famine, a 
number of women and children were left homeless. An attempt was made 
to keep them in their respective stations. There were a few at Mahodi but 
because the station had to be left for one year with no missionaries located 
there, the women and children were all removed to the Widows’ Home and 
to the Orphanages. There are also a number at Sankra. At the close of 
1924 there were eighteen women and a number of children at that place. 
Some of the older boys and girls have been sent to the Boys’ and Girls’ 
Orphanages. The women at Sankra also live in mud huts. Most of the 
women are elderly women. All except two are real widows. These two 
were deserted by their husbands. All of the Sankra women, too, have 
united with the Church. 


Men’s Home 


For a number of vears a few old and disabled men had been cared for 
by the Mission. Because there was no other place for them they were 
allowed to live in the Boys’ Orphanage. During famine time the number 
increased. ‘hey then were separated from the Orphanage and a separate 
place provided. After famine was over and they became able to take care 
of themselves they were dismissed one by one until all had been sent away 
who could possibly take care of themselves. There are still thirteen in the 
Home. It has always been the policy of the Mission not to admit more 
into this Home as it always has been most difficult to arrange for their 


BUILDING -ONUTHE "ROCK 77 


support. True they are not very promis- 
ing but the Missionaries have been un- 
able to turn them away when it appears 
as though starvation only could be the 
result. ‘They are all men who are either 
o!d, physically disabled or mentally weak 
and this country does not provide for 
the support of such persons. So they are 
kept on with the hope that God will in 
some way provide for them through the 
kindness of His people. 


Station Schools 


As more poor people came into the 
Church and the Orphanages filled up it 
was necessary for some arrangements to 
be made so that the children of poor 





Garjan Bai. Gone to Her Reward 


Christians could be sent to school and 
the congested conditions in the Orphan- 
ages be relieved. The parents in many 
cases are unable to support their chil- 
dren and send them to school so they 
must either receive help or remain illit- 
erate. To give money into the hands of 
the parents would be a futile way of try- 
ing to help the children as many of them 
might not use it for the purpose for 
which it was intended. Therefore it was 
decided to open school kitchens in con- 
nection with schools at the stations 
where missionaries live. The children 
were to receive one or two warm meals 
a day as the need might be. It is not 
always easy to determine who should 





Matron of the Widows’ Home 


78 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


have one or two meals or no help as it can not be exactly known in 
all cases what the income of the parents is. The plan was first tried out 
at Sankra in 1922 and proved to be quite satisfactory. The next year it 
was begun in connection with the Girls’ School at Dhamtari and later for 
the Boys’ School at Balodgahan. At the latter place there also are a few 
girls included. At the close of 1924 there were ninety-nine children receiving 
help in the three kitchens. They are all required to do some useful work 
supervised by their teachers the hours they are out of school. How long 
the school kitchens will be continued can only be answered by how great 
the need will be and whether the means will be forthcoming for supporting 
them. We must provide a way whereby the children can be educated in 
order to forestall an illiterate Church in the future. 

At the present time our Christian community is largely composed of 
those who came into the Church through the work of our Charitable 
Institutions in the past and the influence they have had on others. Our 
evangelists, Bible women, our deacons, all except one, and nearly all of our 
Sunday school workers came from the Orphanages. Great possibilities for 
the future of the Mennonite Church in India lie in the children, at present 
growing up in our Institutions, and unless the means and missionaries will 
be forthcoming from the home base, to take advantage of these possibilities, 
much will be lost in carrying forward the work already begun. 

In connection with this short history of our Charitable Institutions we 
wish to give a few life sketches of some who have passed through them, 
which we trust will be as interesting to those who read this book as they 
have been to those who have come in contact with them. 


Life Sketches 


Among those who sought refuge from starvation in the famine of 
1899-1900 was a widow named Ramoti Dai. Her husband had already died 
and she was left with two little boys. Everything she owned had been 
turned in for food, and what next? She made her way towards Dhamtari. 
It was a slow process, she being so weak that she could hardly put one foot 
before the other. On the way, at a large bazaar, her oldest son was lost in 
the throng of people. Thinking he might be with some relatives the 
exhausted mother paid little attention to this matter for a few days. When 
she could not trace his whereabouts she became so discouraged that she 
tried in various ways to end her life. Once she took a rope to hang herself 
and her remaining son but did not succeed. Another time she tried’ to 
throw her son into the river and then drown herself but in this she too 
failed. Again she was lying beside the road for the night and she says, “A 


BUILDING.ON, THE ROCK 79 


tiger came sniffing around and almost buried us in the sand which he threw 
up with his paws but he did not even find us good eating and went his 
way.” At last she reached the famine kitchen where the Brethren Ressler 
and Page took her in and ministered to her needs. She was in such a 
bad physical condition that the Indian helpers at the famine camp did not 
want to touch her. They were ready to let her die. After getting food and 
medical aid she revived and was a great help in caring for the sick in the 
hospital but her little boy died. The older one had not been found and to 
her he was dead—that is the way the Indian expresses it. After the famine 
Ramoti Dai was taken into the Girls’ Orphanage where she was like a 
mother to the girls for a number of years. Those who were in the 
Orphanage then still respect her very highly. 


When Irene Lehman was born Ramoti Dai was chosen to help take 
care of her. She was “ayah” (child nurse) for all the Lehman children, 
helping their mother who was engaged in her mission work. After she 
began working for the Lehman family steps were taken to find her long 
lost son. After some searching, traces of him were found and he was 
brought to his mother. Nine or ten years had elapsed and the little boy 
had grown to be a man, was married and the father of children. This 
meeting shall never be forgotten. Truly tears of real joy were shed. There 
could be no doubt that they were mother and son for the resemblance was 
very great. The son and his wife are now Christians. Relatives come to see 
them. One of her brothers also came and is a Christian. She must now be 
in the seventies and is still working and enjoying her Christian life. 


One of the most interesting characters that ever passed through the 
Orphanage was Garjan Bai. We speak of her almost with reverence. She 
had her human weaknesses but in spite of them she was a noble character. 


She came into the Orphanage the first day of February, 1900, and was 
entered on the register as being eleven years old. Her physical condition 
at that time was very bad. She had sores and needed much care and 
attention to nurse her back to health and strength. It was not long until 
she showed the rare ability which she possessed. She early became a leader 
among the girls and a great help to those who had charge of them. She 
often related in after years how she with a few other girls studied until late 
at night in order to have their lessons for school the next day, when 
according to the prevailing rules, they should have been sleeping. After 
finishing the work in the primary department of the Mission School she 
went to Jubalpur and attended Normal School for two years. She then 
returned to the Mission and taught for about four years. She had 


(IC6T) cSvucyd-g spar 








Girls’ Orphanage (1924) 


82 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


scrofulous swellings on her neck from which she suffered a great deal while 
she was teaching. Besides teaching she always had numerous other duties 
in the Orphanage, such as matron’s work, helping to look after the store 
room and dining room and she was always most faithful in performing her 
duties. There was some work in which she was very clumsy, such as 
knitting, sewing and crocheting. But when she made up her mind to learn 
something it was as good as accomplished for she was most persistent in 
her efforts to learn. In 1910 she was relieved from teaching and took the 
position of Matron of the Orphanage which she filled until the time of her 
death in 1918, though she taught some again the last few years of her life. 

Garjan Bai came from the oil maker caste. Her mother was a leper, 
though this fact is not generally known. According to her account of her 
home life and training she had parents who were as strict as one ever finds 
among Hindu villagers. She said, “I was never allowed to play outside of 
our own compound with other children in the evening after dark.” In 
other ways, also, she was taught to be upright and honest. Her Christian 
life to her was a great joy and she spent many hours in prayer. Often 
when it almost seemed as though she should be at other duties, when she 
was inquired for, the girls would answer, “Bai is praying.” In the influenza 
epidemic on the 9th of November, 1918, she laid down her life in this world 
a victim of the disease. How terribly she was missed among the girls 
where she was like a mother especially to the little ones! She is still missed 
in the work. Her pleasant smile and hearty welcome await us on the other 
side. 


Another beautiful character was Asra Bai. Her mother died when she 
was a baby. Her sister-in-law took care of her and fed her with goat’s 
milk and thus she survived as very few little children in this country ever 
do under such circumstances. Just when her father died is not known to us 
but her brothers kept her until the famine of 1899-1900 broke out. When 
they no longer could support her she found her way to the famine camp and 
from there she came into the Orphanage. In those days she was called 
Thanwarin but years after when she had learned many things about 
Christianity she disliked her old name as the meaning of it was not a nice 
one and wanted to change it. She herself chose the name Asra which 
means Hope. In this part of the country Bai applies to all women who have 
some prestige among the people. She was a girl who was very much 
respected among the people so was always called “Asra Bai.” ; 


After she finished the Primary School in connection with the 
Orphanage she went away to Normal School and returning she taught for 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 83 


several years. [For some time she studied English and with tutoring by 
some of the woman missionaries she finally passed her fourth class English 
examination. This she did while she was teaching. In 1913 she went to 
take the Nurses’ Training Course in the Woman’s Hospital in Ludhiana, 
Panjab, in north India. She was there for three years before she returned 
to the Mission to take up work in connection with the Medical Dispensary 
at Balodgahan. She was there for only a few months and then was 
transferred to Dhamtari in the latter part of 1916 when Dr. Cooprider came 
to India, and was connected with the medical work at Dhamtari until her 
death in November, 1924. She was married in August, 1921. She had very 
poor health much of the time during the last few years of her life and could 
not devote much of her time to the medical work but when she could work 
she aiways could be depended upon to do her work faithfully. She and 
Garjan Bai were fast friends and she missed Garjan Bai very greatly when 
Garjan was called away. Asra Bai, perhaps, has never had an equal as a 
go-between for the missionaries and the Indian people. She seemed to 
have a special gift in understanding the motives of both and helping them 
to understand each other. She was a woman loved by many. After her 
death we heard her name many times in and about the city of Dhamtari 
and she was always highly spoken of. There are many Hindus and 
Christians alike to whom she had ministered in sickness. At the present 
time there is no one to take her place. 


Birjha is a girl who came into the Orphanage in September, 1916. She 
had come to the Dispensary at Dhamtari where Dr. Esch treated her for a 
bad sore she had on her head due to being struck with a heavy stick by her 
step-mother who was very unkind to her. She remained at Dhamtari for a 
few days and was then sent to the Orphanage at Balodgahan. She said her 
people did not want her and had sent her away. A man was sent to her 
village to investigate and found that her story was correct. She had a 
sore on her head and through neglect it became full of worms which would 
outcaste her family if she were allowed to remain in her home. In order to 
get back into caste the father would have to feed all his caste people and 
pay whatever penalty they should see fit to impose on him. Rather than 
suffer this they sent the girl away. Birjha was supposed to be about ten 
years old when she came to the Orphanage. When here about a year she 
asked for baptism and wanted to unite with the Church. She has always 
been faithful. Her start in school was late. She is not extraordinarily 
bright but she finished the Primary School, has worked one vear outside 
of school, hecause helpers were too few, and is now in the Middle School 


(1061) eseueydigQ shog 











er ee oe 





Boys’ Orphanage (1924) 


86 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


and doing well. We believe that she is going to be a good, substantial 
Christian woman. 

Shanti was brought to the Orphanage by the police when she was 
about a day and a half old. At birth her mother had tried to kill her and, 
thinking her to be dead, she threw her outside the village near the road and 
covered her body with thorns. The child revived and with its cries 
attracted the attention of some one who was passing. The police were 
notified who took charge of the child and investigated the case. The 
mother was tried and sent to prison where she died some months later. 
Nothing is known of the child’s father. The little girl was brought to the 
Orphanage where she was taken care of. Shanti is a tather dull ‘girl and 
has never accomplished much in her school work but she has certainly 
needed the sympathy of Christian people if a child ever has. She is now 
fifteen years old and still goes to school. 

Kuwarwati came to the Orphanage during the last famine in 1921. 
She was married when a little girl although she never lived with her 
husband. Her parents had died and the grandmother kept her, her little 
sister, and brother. When the famine came she could no longer provide tor 
them all and sent Kuwarwati to the house of her father-in-law asking them 
to take care of her. They kept her for a while but when they thought that 
they also would be scarce in food they sent her back to her grandmother. 
She returned her to them several times but at last they refused to keep her 
at all. She with her sister, brother, and grandmother then came to the 





New Boys’ Orphanage, Dhamtari 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 





Our Blind Boys at Work 


87 


famine camp at Ba- 
lodgahan where the 
erandmother died from 
the awful starvation 
she had endured and 
the children were all 
taken into the Orphan- 
ages, @ illess methane ca 
year after the famine 
was over and good 
crops were again in 
sight the father-in-law 
of Kuwarwati came to 
the Orphanage inquir- 
ing for his daughter- 
in-law. He could not 
be turned away with- 


out a hearing as the girl legally belonged to his household. She was called and 
he had an interview with her. He told her that he had come to take her 
to his home. She said to him, “Under no circumstances will I ever return 
to your house. When I was in need you turned me out, now that I have 
been brought back from the grave and am in good health and strength you 





Cattle Stables at Balodgahan Where the Orphanage Girls 
Lived for Some Time 


88 BUILDING, ON THE ROCK 


come for me but I will not go with you.” The man was told that she could 
do as she wished about going. He was also asked if the girl had been 
disobedient while in his home and he replied, “She was always a good 
girl.” He left and gave no further trouble but went away sad because it 
means a big expense for a man to have his son married and now he was 
facing it for the second time with the same boy. 

The word came at almost the close of 1924 that the boy to whom she 
was married had died, which releases her and she will be free to marry a 
Christian young man when the opportunity comes. 

Kuwarwati has done well in school considering the very late start she 
had. She is now about fourteen years old. She united with the Church not 
long after she came into the Orphanage. She is good in hand work .and 
very clever with the needle. 








An Orange Tree, Balodgahan 


CAP TSO Ly 


THE MINISTRY OF HEALING 


The main causes of physical suffering in India are ignorance 
superstition, wrong teaching of family priests, poverty, and hereditary 
disease. Most of the villages of the country have their houses huddled 
together without proper air space between, without ventilation, with cattle 
sheds either built against the huts or near them, without proper systems of 
drainage or sanitation, and with the families crowded together in closed 
rooms to sleep or keep warm in cool weather. During the rainy season 
mud and slush abound. There are plenty of pools in which mosquitoes 


breed. 


The Indians of our Mission area are generally careful to cook their 
food thoroughly but do not know the first principles of cleanliness in its 
preparing and serving. To quote Dr. Florence Friesen who was called 
upon to visit a patient in a distant village where the meal had been 
prepared at the order of the wealthy proprietor: 

“We were again asked to be seated outside the compound until the meal 
was ready. There we saw a man who had marks of sin and disease on his 
body washing a few dishes where we had seen servants washing their feet 
when we waited there before. After he had washed the dishes he pulled out 
the end of his dhoti (lower garment) and dried them carefull’. Then the 
tonga-walla (ox-driver) took the cloth from his neck that he had used to 
Wipe away the perspiration on the way out and wiped the dishes again, and, 
to make sure they were clean, wiped them the third time with the end of his 
turban that had been hanging down his back. Finally it was announced that 
the meal was ready and the servant led the way to the fine large bungalow. 
We were guided through it and out on the rear varanda. There was a small 
table for me and one in another ccrner for the nurse and we were seated 
with our faces to the wall. There were these same dishes we saw before. 
Could we eat? We had to or offend. This time when we asked God’s 
blessing on the meal we also asked to be saved from seen danger and from 
unseen dangers that daily surround us.” 


Native Life 


Most of the houses of the village people are built of mud. Even 
though they may be of bricks and plastered on the outside with lime and 


90 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


have a good outward appearance the floors are generally of mud and are 
cleaned (?) the same way as the village huts, with a preparation of 
cow-dung and water. The food is cooked in a little corner of a room on a 
small fire-place and the smoke escapes through a side window if there is 
any. The whole house becomes filled with this smoke and eyes become 
irritated as a result. Such eyes become a prey to flies and gnats and become 
infected. The clothing are generally washed in some pool in which the 
people bathe themselves. In some such pools they bathe their cattle too. 
Any microbes that flourish in such water will settle on the clothing 
resulting in itch, other skin infections, and various, internal diseases. 


Sores from cuts and bruises become infected not only from contact 
with uncleanness but from the very treatment they receive. Ashes, mud, 
cow-dung, and many other unnamable ingredients are made into poultices 
and applied. Most loathsome sores are the result. Children are not 
properly cared for, resulting in disease, permanent injuries, blindness, etc. 
It is quite common for the mother or aunt or grandmother to heat a sickle 
and apply the point to different places on the infant’s abdomen in order to 
cure it of some disorder. Most of the children have their little abdomens 
all spotted from such burns. It is not only supposed to drive out the heat 
inside but also to drive away any evil spirit which may be persecuting the 
child. In prolonged cases of crying the medicine man is called and he may 
recommend applying a hot iron to the soft part of the child’s head in order 
to drive away the insistent evil spirit. If the spirit persists too strongly 
the child will die. Aiter the treatment it generally dies. 


Thousands of people are attacked every year by poisonous reptiles and 
ravenous beasts. A mad jackal entered our Girls’ Orphanage in 1906 and 
bit two of the orphan girls and later Bro. M. C. Lapp when he came out 
to see what the commotion was about. They went to Kasauli for treat- 
ment and all recovered. A terribly mangled patient was brought to our 
Rudri dispensary. He had been attacked by a bear. One of our missionaries 
treated a patient who had been mangled by a panther. Septic poisoning 
set in and the poor sufferer succumbed. While out on tour one of our 
missionaries met a man who had his lower lip completely bitten away by 
a bear. We are often called out to treat cases of snake bite. The patients 
will recover if taken in time and properly treated. 


Neglect, especially of women, is the cause of much suffering ‘and 


death. One missionary was called to a village to treat what he understood 
to be a child. When he arrived he found it to be a calf. There was a 


leywieyq ‘uone1g [edIpeyyT 





we 








OZ BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


woman lying ill in the same house but the missionary was not called to 
see her. He left the calf however and cared for the poor mother. Midwives 
who are trained according to Indian superstition cause untold suffering not 
only at the time of child-birth by maltreating the poor mother but too often 
by causing septic poisoning which leaves both mother and child victims of 
some dread disease for life. 

Our Mission district is, perhaps, more free from cholera and plague 
than scme, but we have had a few outbreaks in and around Dhamtari. 
‘Twice the Boys’ Orphanage had to be moved because of plague and the 
missionaries living in Sundarganj were obliged to take every precaution 
against contracting it. 

Sometimes treachery and intrigue, especially among the rich and ruling 
classes, play a large part in the sickness and removal by death of some. 
The king of Kanker fell ill from typhoid-pneumonia. As soon as it was 
known his near relatives began to come and offer their services. This 
does not sound unusual, does it? No, but the underlying motive led them 
to do everything in their power that the throne might fall to one of their 
choice in the nearest possible future. The poor patient knew this and in 
order to be on the safe side telegraphed for medical help from our Mission. 
Dr. Esch not being available at the time Bro. M. C. Lapp went to him and 
took full charge of all his meals and drinking water ordering such diet as 
was suited to the patient’s needs. Relatives were allowed only such 
courtesies as would leave him on the safe side. They had sent for the most 
competent priests and medicine men to administer to his needs and 
they were ready to show him every kindness (?). But their help was not 
needed and in twelve days th-ough the careful nursing of Bro. Lapp and the 
skilled advice of the Civil Surgeon of Jagdalpur he recovered. He liberally 
rewarded his benefactors for their services. They had saved his life. 

Do you wonder then that there is great mortality in India? Do you 
wonder that the cry of the time is for more medical missionaries who will 
become to India not only apostles of healing and surgery, but of sanitation, 
cleanliness, and of was and means of improving the general living 
conditions of the people of India? We are glad to report that the mortality 
in the Indian Christian community has been considerably reduced. 
Government has done the best it could and in every place has a system of 
inspection in vogue but must content itself with such officers as can be 
had. A one-time sanitary inspector of Dhamtari came to the Mission 
compound to look around. When he introduced himself to the missionary 
he said, “I am the thanitary inthpector and have come to have a look around 
the plathe.” He looked around and compared the living rooms in the 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 93 


Orphanage with the amount of air space each boy should have and over- 
looked all the points which he should have noted regarding drainage, 
sanitation, etc. He himself had been reared in surroundings that would not 
bear too close inspection. 


Government Hospitals and Dispensaries 


It is the lack of dispensaries and hospitals which has called for the 
establishing of Mission hospitals and dispensaries throughout the land. 
Government can only go as fast as public sentiment will permit. They 





Medical Dispensary, Sankra 


have been careful however to give their servants medical attention by 
establishing Government dispensaries in every centre in which police 
headquarters are located. One Government hospital is located in Raipur. 
The dispensaries which are located in Dhamtari, Sihawa, Kanker, and 
Gariaband are in charge of assistant medical officers who have had their 
training in one of the Government medical schools located in Nagpur, 
Calcutta, Madras, Allahabad, Lahore, etc. They are put on a salary and 
all medicine is given to the common people free of charge. All dispensaries 


weyweyq ‘[eywdsoyy uoissi~ oy} ur sAq Ue UO BSuNneIedO 


ibe AGA RT EES 





BULIEDIN GIONS TEEUROCK 95 


are regularly inspected by the head medical officer who resides in Raipur. 
He tries to correct any irregularities which may have arisen. We have 
had occasion to call assistant surgeons to our aid and found them fairly 
efficient in their work. They have proved capable in both their diagnosis 
and treatment. We have also called the Civil Surgeon from Raipur in 
cases of illness when our own doctors were not available or when they 
wished to consult. The scarcity of Government physicians and private prac- 
titioners has led to establishing the Mission Hospital and Dispensary. 


In our Mission there are in all five medical dispensaries located at each 
of the stations, Dhamtari, Balodgahan, Sankra, Ghatula, and Mahodi. As 
far as possible they are kept under the general supervision of our medical 
missionaries located at the respective stations. In most of our outstations 
the workers are allowed to carry in stock simple remedies to meet the needs 
of the village people who come to them. Every missionary is looked upon 
by the Indian people as capable of giving medical assistance and the people 
often refuse to go to the trained Government assistant surgeons if there is 
any possibility of receiving help from us. Some of the untrained missionaries 
have been called upon to operate on and care for difficult cases because of 
the distance from Dhamtari, or in the absence of our doctors, because the 
patients insisted upon the missionaries doing the work. 


Dr. W. B. Page opened the first Mission medical dispensary which was 
ever opened in Dhamtari. He started work in a shed near which a building 
was later erected tor the purpose. Sheds were erected for the many famine 
people who needed medical attention. Hundreds of people were cared for 
in this way. Not only were grown people cared for but children and babies 
were kept alive by the vigilant and painstaking efforts of the missionaries. 
Unless they carefully watched their feeding the mothers were liable to 
drink the child’s milk and let the infant go hungry. They, in many cases, 
would feed the children opium to keep them quiet. 


After the medical dispensary was built a few rooms were reserved for 
in-patients. After Dr. Page’s return to America there was no Mission 
doctor until the arrival of Dr. Esch in 1910. The Dhamtari Mission 
dispensary was left (for some years) in the charge of Muhammed Yakub 
a Mohammedan assistant surgeon who faithfully served the cause. 
Previous to this other assistants were hired by the Mission, some of whom 
were Christians. Some were efficient and faithful while others were found 
unprincipled and unworthy of the confidence of the Mission. The Mission 
also spent considerable money for the training of young men from this area 
for medical work. At the present time one young man is in training in 


96 BUILDING ON. THE ROCK 


Nagpur. It is hoped that he will become a faithful assistant in this service. 
He is a son of one of our faithful evangelists who a number of years ago 
was taken from us by death. 


Tne first building which was used as a hospital and dispensary became 
too small to meet the requirements and another site was chosen which is 
over a mile north of Sundarganj near the railway station. A bungalow 
was built and a small hospital and a ward for a few in-patients was erected. 
At the present time there is a good building for European patients, and 
the foundation for a larger and better hospital is dug and plans are laid 
for more and larger wards for in-patients. 


With the coming of Dr. Florence Friesen, nee Cooprider, in 1916.and 
Dr. Troyer in 1923, the work has become better supplied with medical 
missionaries. Yet they cannot cover the field. There are parts of our 
mission area which stand greatly in need of a medical missionary to 
care for the physical needs of the people. We are glad for those in -tite 
homeland who contemplate taking medical training with the view of giving 
their lives 'to the cause in India. May God call-more to this nobleyseryice: 


In ,all during the twenty-five years four doctors. and three trained 
nurses have come from the homeland and served the cause in India. One 
doctor was furloughed home because of ill health, one nurse was removed 
by death and the remaining doctors and nurses are at present on the field. 
Two Indian nurses, Asra Bai and Sonai Bai, received their training in a 
mission training hospital at Ludhiana and served the Cause for a number 
of years. Sonat Bai is still serving. in the Mission but in 1924 Asra Bai 
was taken away by death. Both have been efficient and faithful in their 
work. 

Increased patronage on the part of the Indian people makes a large 
hospital and dispensary with full equipment necessary. The poor must be 
given rooms free of charge while the wealthier patrons willingly pay for 
better accommodation. We believe the plans for enlarging the medical 
station so as to meet the needs of all concerned are practicable and should 
be carried out at the earliest possible date. Moreover, as more medical 
missionaries arrive on the field and are located in different sections of the 
mission area it will also become imperative that they have better quarters 
in which to serve the people who come to them for help. While a central 
hospital and wards are necessary yet this cannot meet the needs oi the 
outlying districts from which so many patients cannot receive help except 
from the near Mission stations. Sankra at present is in need of better 
quarters. A doctor is stationed there. We are praying that doctors will 





Medical Dispensary, Ghatula 


come who can serve in still other stations of the Mission. 


The following record of the dispensaries shows the magnitude of the 
Medical Mission work: 


1900 1901 1907 1909 1916 1920 1924 





No. Hospitals 1 1 1 Z iz 
No. Dispensaries 1 1 5 3 + 4. 5 
No. Doctors & Ass’t Surgeons 1 | ] l ] 2 3 
No. Nurses and Compounders 1 Jo 3 3 4 4 
No. Out-patients 3009 2000 12500 13000 19900 20517 
No. In-patients 41 Cee Goel 20 el 62eee 220 2345 


The lepers have not been taken into account in the above survey since 
they are treated in a separate chapter. 

Medicine and the Gospel Message 

In a recent number of the Journal of Medical Missions in India, we 
Headeitoinetne pen of E»F.+Neve, M. D., F--R: GC. S.: 

“We should aim at nothing less than imparting Christian instruction to 
all out-patients and in-patients. This may necessitate two or three 
addresses to out-patients as there are usually fresh arrivals after the first 
roomiul has been disposed of. In the wards, in a large hospital the 
difficulty is admittedly great. If helpers are few and there are many wards 
it may be impossible to visit each ward every day. But that should be 


98 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


our ideal. It is important to endeavor to build up an evangelistic staff in 
order to utilize to the utmost extent our opportunities............ Alutrue 
Christian members of the hospital staff should be encouraged to regard it 
as part of their duty to join in the work of witnessing—the doctors and 
nursing sisters themselves setting the example and working according to 
some plan.” 


It is generally conceded that through medical Mission work a great 
influence can be exerted over the people. The relief from physical suffering 
is an important means of impressing them and of helping them to become 
more ready to listen to the Gospel message. The nature of the treatment 
and the cures which have been effected have led many a soul readily to 
read or listen to messages from the Gospel of Christ, the Great Healer of 
the people. 


It will be of interest here to relate some of the incidents which have 
occurred in the experiences of those who had to do with medical work in 
the Mission. While one of our missionaries was touring in the district he 
came to a village in which a former patient lived. Soon the man came 
running and showed the scar on his body where an operation had been 
performed which saved his life. He said to the missionary, “You saved 
my life and now I want you to be my own guest during your stay here.” 
Fle also called the village people into a meeting and told them to be 
attentive to the message as the religion of these people was worth 
learning. A father and son came to one of our station dispensaries. The 
son had a frightful sore on his head. The sore was treated until it healed 
and the father became a Christian as a result of the teaching he had 
received. One morning a man brought his wife to our Dhamtari hospital. 
She had suffered great pain because of disorder. She thought she had a 
snake in her stomach. She could feel it. It was killing her. The doctor 
upon careful examination found that it was the pulsation of the abdominal 
aorta which became distended because of other trouble. Medicine was 
eiven her and her true condition was explained, dispelling her fears, and 
aiso some of the superstitious ideas she and her friends had entertained. 
She went away happy and was soon restored to full health and strength. 
We feel confident that the Gospel will find a warm place in her heart. 
One woman came so weak that she could not walk and had such terrible 
sores that it was almost impossible for those who treated her to coms near 
to her. She soon gained in strength from the good food and treatment 
she received and also became a believer in. Christ. We also have several 
other women and children who came to us for treatment and food who are 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 99 


a valuable asset to the Mission. A man needed treatment for appendicitis. 
The doctor carefully treated him until he was strong enough for the 
operation. He finally returned to his home sooner than he had orders from 
the doctor but he recovered much to his own and his friends’ satisfaction. 
A poor woman came to the Dhamtari hospital with such a bad rupture 
that a part of the intestines had protruded, becoming perforated through 
partial decomposition. She recovered (miraculously, it seems to us) after a 
skillful operation by the doctors and returned to her home a normal 
woman. A large number of successful operations have been performed on 
cataracts and other affections of the eyes. It is pathetic to see the joy of 
those whose sight has been restored to them. 

During the time that our first medical missionary was in India he 





Medical Dispensary, Balodgahan 


had hundreds of cases which were the result of famine conditions. This 
soon spread the fame of the Mission medical work and widened the field 
of service, the influence of which is felt even fo this day. When Dr. Esch 
and his fellow medical missionaries came on the field the Mission planned 
to give them as much time as_ possible for language study. But 
missionaries became ill and needed their skilled attention. Needy cases 
came on which they should operate and it was so easy to take an hour or 
so of their time in this needy work. Dr. Esch said, “When we first 
came to India and were located at Balodgahan, Bro. M. C. Lapp had quite 


100 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


a medical practice. We had the arrangement that for one-hour every 
morning, after the morning language lesson, I would go out and help him 
with the cases about which he wished advice, and in the meantime get an 
insight into the problem of medical practice in India.” 

One day a man came with a badly festered foot and the only remedy 
was to amputate the leg above the knee. Dr. Esch was the surgeon, Bro. 
Lapp the anesthetist, Sister Lapp the nurse, Bro. J. S. Hartzler the first 
assistant, and Bro. Shoemaker the observer. The operation was performed 
in the little dispensary room at Balodgahan. The patient was removed to a 
room in the village and by being carefully nursed he recovered from what 
was considered a very doubtful case. A few days after we were living in 
Dhamtari this same man came walking into the dispensary with an 
improvised artificial leg, apparently well and happy. He had a little 
discharge from the stump of his leg and upon examination it was found 
that one of the silk threads was overlooked when the stitches were taken 
out. It soon healed completely and the man told the doctor thatshewmidts. 
come to his village about ten miles away and preach and sing to the people 
and give medicine. | ) 

A consumptive living in the village of Kaneri not far from Balodgahan 
was being treated by Bro. Lapp. Dr. Esch was called in for advice and the 
man was told that he shoyld set his house in order as he had not long to 
live in this world. The missionaries prayed with him and he declared his 
faith in Christ and promised that his life would be given to Hime ere 
would bring about his recovery. The prayer was answered in his seemingly 
almost entire recovery. But he kept putting off his former promise. He 
had done away with many of his former heathen customs but finally 
because of exposure at a large heathen mela, which is held annually at 
Rajim, a large religious centre on the Mahanadi river, he contracted a 
severe cold. and his old trouble returned in “ar more (severe (ott mpeee 
confessed that he had sinned against light and in this condition he died. 


Great Opportunities 


Thus we have in the experience of the missionaries cases which show 
the opportunity for impressing the Message on the hearts of the people. 
We can truthfully say that the opportunities are taken advantage of in the 
dispensaries, in the sick wards, in the villages where the people live who 
have been treated. There are cases of conversion as a direct result of 
the medical Mission work. But the result cannot actually be shown. 
Many a patient comes and goes who receives help, hears the Word, and 
goes back to his or her village and little is heard from them. Yet the seed 


BULL DUINGLON PEE IROCK 101 


has been sown and in God’s own time it will bear fruit for Him. 

Not only are the people served who come for help. The doctors, 
nurses, and others are often called out to villages where the sick lie too 
helpless to be brought to them. It may be a poor helpless mother, or a 
man who has met with a frightful accident, or someone who was struck 
suddenly ill from some ravaging disease. The missionaries generally run 
a great risk in treating such people for they, too often, are almost beyond 
relief and many times have some disease which, if the doctor or nurse is 
not careful he or she might contract from the patient. Every care has 
to be exercised in the treatment of the sick. But much to the credit of 
those who care for them they shirk no duty, but brave every danger in 
seeking to save life, and at the same time bring a soul out of darkness into 
light. They must travel in carts, on horseback, through rain and shine, 
suffer cold as well as intense heat, in order to carry out their Mission to 
the suffering. Dr. Esch was called to the home of a village owner of 
Nipani a village about fifteen miles from Dhamtari. They had sent a pony 
for him to ride which got him there in due time. The doctor asked for a 
cart in which to return home after he had eaten his supper and cared for 
the patient and other sick which were brought to him. The evening meal 
was greatly enjoyed after such a long ride on a pony. The host told him 
that there was an elephant in the village on which he could return if he 
wished to do so. The driver of the elephant told him that the beast would 
take him in to Dhamtari in about two hours. With a few misgivings the 
doctor assented to taking the elephant. The saddle consisted of a large 
pad and several blankets securely roped on. It seemed like sitting on the top 
of a haystack. He could neither sit or lie with comfort and it was a cold 
night. They had not travelled long until he could see that it would take 
more than two hours to get in to Dhamtari. It took five and one half hours 
to get in, and the doctor had to dismount a number of times and walk to 
keep warm and limber up. He afterward preferred a buffalo cart with 
straw if nothing better was available. 


We cannot refrain from telling you the story of little Banwasa. <A 
man brought her to the dispensary and said she had no relatives to care 
for her. She was suffering from a bad ulcer on the back part of her head. 
A square inch of skull was exposed and maggots were working around 
the sides of the sore. When she recovered the missionaries planned to 
send her to the Girls’ Orphanage but one of the Christian women of the 
Sundargan} congregation who had lost a little girl her size some years 
before took her into her own home. She is now a fine, happy little girl 


102 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


and says that when she grows up she wants to he a nurse and help others 
who need the same kind of help she received. We trust that little Banwasa 
will be of use in the Lord’s service. 

This mission of pure love, most times without any pecuniary 
remuneration, means more to the work of the Lord in India than any one 
can calculate. It helped the Christian people to come out of their beliefs 
in witch doctors and medicine men. The movements set on foot for 
teaching the people as to sanitation, the danger of drugs, the need ol 
careful and prompt treatment, will all have their influence sooner or later. 
The Indian people appreciate the service. The orphan children learn to 
rely on the service they receive. Some amusing and pathetic experiences 
can be told in connection with the service. A village man whose son was 
being treated was trusted with several doses of medicine for his son. He 
was sure that all of it given at a time would cure the son at once if single 
doses would have the slow effect of healing him gradually. So he gave 
about four doses at once with the result that the son was thrown into 
convulsions. The witch doctor was called to drive out the demon that had 
taken possession ard the father was just in the act of spanking his sick 
son with a shoe when the missionary came on the scene. After asking a 
few questions the missionary gave a strong antidote and the “demon” soon 
Jeft and the son was himself again. One of the orphan girls who had an 
eye for economy took quinine capsules to her room to take for malaria and 
when she took a dose of the quinine emptied it from the capsules and 
brought them back for more. She was straightway told that she was to 
take capsule and all in order to avoid having to taste the quinine. 

From 1500 to 2000 dollars are used every vear in medical work beside 
the amounts of money which go into buildings but none will regret the 
cost compared to the vast amount of good that can be done. Keeping in 
mind the ultimate purpose of it all we can rest assured that God will honor 
the work in the salvation of never dying souls. God bless the medical 
Mission work and the nurses and doctors who consecrate their lives to this 
noble work! 


CHAR OER Serr 


TRAINING THE HANDS 


India is a country of almost unlimited resources. There are great 
forests of valuable timber. The teak wood (tectous grandis) forests of 
India and Burmah produce some of the most valuable cabinet and ship- 
building lumber in the world. There are enormous deposits of coal and 
iron. In Bengal there are coal fields producing over 10,000,000 tons a year. 
Ships in the harbors of Bombay and Calcutta are loaded with Indian coal, 
some of which comes from the Central Provinces. The manganese mines 
near Nagpur, Central Provinces, furnish the steel mills of Pittsburgh with 
manganese ore for the manufacture of vanadium steel. Agriculture is 
extended over the length and breadth of the land. Rice, wheat, cotton, 
kafhr corn, and sugar cane are the principal crops of the soil while various 
legumes, hemp, sesame, from which sweet oil is made, are produced in great 
quantities. India was third in the wheat producing countries of the world 
even when Russia was producing normally. The cotton mills of India 
compete with Manchester in the manufacture of cotton fabrics. There are 
in and around Bombay nearly thirty square miles of cotton mills and 
business warehouses with laborers’ dwellings. The Cossipore sugar mills 
turn out great quantities of the best refined sugar made from India grown 
sugar cane. All known tropical and temperate zone fruits grow in India. 
Shiploads of raw jute are shipped to the United States to be manufactured 
into the gunny bags of commerce in spite of the fact that jute mills and 
other factories line up the banks of the Hoogly for miles. India is one 
of the six great industr‘al countries of the world! 


Local Natura] 
Resources ; Os 


That part of 
India occupied by 
our Mission Field 
has its full share 
of the above men- 
tioned natural re- 





Threshing Rice 


104 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


sources. Dhamtari is a very busy industrial center. South and east are 
large tracts of sal (vateria robusta) wood forests which furnish railroad ties 
as well as coal mine timbers all over India. Railroad ties measure ten 
feet by ten inches by five inches. These are carted to Dhamtari from the 
outlying forests in great numbers. In a single trip from Sihawa to Dham- 
tari by motor, occupying only three hours, as many as eleven hundred carts 
were counted either loaded and on their way to Dhamtari or going back 
empty for more ties. In one month as many as 15,000 of these ties were 
shipped from Dhamtari on the narrow gauge railway. 

Another jungle product distributed from Dhamtari to other parts of 
India and to foreign countries is the marabalam nut. This is an astringent 
nut that grows on the harra tree. The nut is about the size of the white 
walnut the outside of which is a spongy mass covering a hard seed. The 
nut is gathered only for the outside portion which is rich in tannic acid 
and is used for tanning leather and for the manufacture of dyes. For a 
long time the seed was considered waste but it has been discovered that 
it is an excellent substitute for fuel, burning with great heat, and now the 
brick factories of Dhamtari use so much of this fuel that it has become a 
valuable by-product. 

Dhamtari is one of the most important lac centres in all India and 
many tons of the raw material are shipped from Dhamtari every year to 
European markets. “Lac” is the Hindi name for the raw material from 
which are manufactured the high class shellac varnishes and polishes. 
For a number of years the Mission carpenter shop has manufactured its 
own “french polish” by dissolving the raw lac from the jungle with 
methylated spirits. When properly applied it will stand the famous 
valspar boiling water test. Lac is produced by millions of tiny red insects 
barely visible to the unaided eye. Certain forest trees, preferably the kusum, 
are inoculated with these tiny insects which at once go to work building 
up on the small 
twigs of the eT ge TT aa somes 
branches innum- 
erable cells that 
are filled with a 
reddish fluid. This 
fluid becomes 
hard after it is 
dried when it is 
ready. for export. 





Carting Railway Ties 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 105 


Great quantities of hemp and bamboos are brought into Dhamtari 
every year. Dhamtari has numerous brick yards, tile factories, oil presses, 
native pottery shops, and brass making shops. It boasts five cigarette 
factories employing two hundred eighty-three men, women, and_ boys. 
Every day these five factories turn out 150,000 cigarettes. But this is not 
enough to supply the smoking public for in addition 125,000 cigarettes are 
shipped into Dhamtari every day. Dhamtari has also recently installed a 
soap factory with a considerable daily output. 


The Indian and Labor 


India has never taken kindly to manual labor. According to the 
orthodox Hindu, menial tasks are reserved by the gods for the lower strata 





Irrigating Mission Gardens from a Well 


of society and for those whose economic circumstances compel them to 
earn their own living. This naturally includes a very large number but 
due to the supposed disgrace of labor a man will employ his work done 
as soon as it becomes possible for him to do so even though he is still 
classed as a poor man. There are many people who lack even that much 
ambition and if by working for some time they accumulate a little money, 


106 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


they lay off until the surplus is used up, when they will resume work 
again! In large industrial centers this attitude, on the part of the Indian, 
produces complex labor problems for large employers of labor. There have 
been great changes for the better in recent years and amazing forward 
strides have been made but there is still much ground to be possessed 
before India can be considered in a satisfactory economic condition. 

The poor man who really wants to get on is put to a serious 
disadvantage when it comes to borrowing monev. The professional money 
lender has things all his own way and the high rate of interest he charges 
often keeps the borrower in veritable slavery the rest of his life. It is not 
unusual for the borrower to pay from thirty to one hundred percent interest 
on the money borrowed! Relief has come in recent years in the form of 
Cooperative Banks, backed by Government, where it is possible with proper 
security, to borrow money at a reasonable rate of interest. It is a great 
boon to farmers, cartmen and others who really have ambition enough to 
want to get on in life. 


The Economic Situation 


The economic question in its relation to our Christian community is 
one oi the most urgent and baffling questions. Our Christian people are 
drawn principally from the lower classes who are the poorest of the poor. 
It is not hard to understand this when it is borne in mind that the 
mnajority of our Christians have come and are coming from our orphanages. 
It is no easy task to build up a poised, stable Christian community from 
such material. And yet if that is what is desired, if a self-supporting and 
self-propagating Indian Church is to be organized and built up, it is 
necessary to give serious attention to this one of the most perplexing 





Plowing in India 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 107 


questions. In one of the numbers of the India Mission News appeared a 
table representing the financial condition of the Mennonite Church which 
is here reproduced. | 
Financial census of the India Mennonite Church 
(Approximately three rupees to the dollar) 
2 families have an income ranging between Rs. 75—100 per month 


6e 6é 6é a9 be ce ce re ce ce 

9 BOe ey 
31 ee 6eé ce ce ee 6eé ce S16) Rae 50 ce ‘ce 
35 ee oe ce (a9 6é 6é 6¢ ?0 30 sé 6é 
| 6é “ec ce ce cé 6e “e 10 20 ce “ce 
98 sé 66 ‘ce oe ce ee “ce ies 10 ee 6é 


400 orphans, 135 widows, 20 old men and 200 lepers are entirely 


dependent on the Mission. 
In other terms 95% of the families have a monthly income of less than 





Bringing in the Sheaves 


$16.50; 70% receive less than $7.00; while 35% get monthly less than $3.50. 
Thus 35% are not only unable to give anything towards the cost of 
educating their own children but must receive aid from the Mission to 
provide food and clothing. 

What does the above mean? !t means that the Indian Church will not 
become self-supporting for many years. It means also that it will be many 
years before the Indian Church will be able to contribute towards its own 
enterprises in the Kingdom of God, for the Church must be more than 
self-supporting before she will be able to help in the spreading of the 


108 BUILDING “ON. THE ROCK 


Gospel through money contributions. For these reasons the Mission has 
from its very beginning considered industrial work as a very important 
form of activity in connection with the Girls’ and Boys’ Orphanages. It 
was not easy in the early days to convince the boys and girls that it is 
proper for them to work. Some even declared that the missionaries ought 
to be proud of the fact that they have the privilege to support the boys and 
thus acquire merit for themselves! Then again when some form of 
industrial work was started and a fairly good article was produced it was 
anything but easy to get a good market for the product. )* People 
acknowledged that the article was good but were unwilling to pay a 
proper price for it, somehow getting the idea that anything produced by 
the Mission should be sold for much less than it could be sold elsewhere. 
Another difficulty was in connection with the dishonest competitor. This 
is the most demoralizing for our Christians who wish to set up a business 
of their own, for, unless they are extremely careful and well poised, the 
temptation to stoop to their competitors’ methods will not be resisted. 





The First Year of the Carpenter Shop 


109 


Leia tietee CR wees 
known trick to 
which the un- 
scrupulous dealer 
will not resort in 
order to freeze 
Ott eis | -DuUSInNeEss 
opponent, «ihe 
Mission used to 
maintain a small 





book store in the 
heart of Dham- 
tari and along with religious literature the store sold phenyle, a disinfect- 
ant. For a while things went very well and the sales of phenyle alone more 
than paid the upkeep of the store. But not for long. Other storekeepers saw 
there was money in phenyle and they also stocked it but in order to make 
more profit they mixed the phenyle with cheaper materials and thus undersold 
us. The unwary purchaser concluded that he was getting the most for his 
money where he was getting the larger measure not knowing how to test 
the quality of what he was getting and as a consequence the Mission store 
went out of business. 


Industrial 


Early Attempts 


The earliest attempts along the line of industrial work were naturally 
in the two orphanages. The girls and boys were taught to sew and to do 
garden and farm work. Tape weaving, carpentry and blacksmithing were 
introduced. Boys were trained as cooks and masons. For several years 
following 1903 a number of boys were engaged in rope making. A strand 
twisting apparatus was 
provided for them and 
seven boys could make 
jee ooumetoree “Or. four 
strand rope, fifty feet 
long, in about three 
hours. Bed tape was al- 
so being made about that 
time. It is made from 
cotton thread and woven 
into a webbing about 
three inches wide on 





Sawing Lumber 


110 


small hand looms. ‘This tape 
is used on beds, taking the 
place of springs and makes a 
fairly comfortable substitute. 
The market for both rope and 
tape was limited and after 
five or six years both industries 
were abandoned. Rope mak- 
ing was revived about 1915 
with a view of putting it on a 
commercial basis, and although a big concern in Calcutta agreed to take 
a large amount of rope we could not compete with other rope factories that 
had facilities for filling large orders on short notice and could guarantee 
their rapes for special purposes. Aiter making several hundred dollars’ 
worth of rope on a commercial basis the work was again closed. Tape 
making was revived about 1920 as a preliminary training for boys who 
were being prepared for the weaving industry. The first tape made with 
this in view was made at Sankra where several hand cloth looms were set 
up. Later tape was made at the Boys’ Orphanage with the same object 
in view. Boys and others who learned to make tape on a small loom were 
soon at work on the larger hand looms making cloth. They were fortunate 
in having a competent instructor and in a comparatively short time several 





The Potter Making Roofing Tiles 





Spinning 


BUILDING-ON- THE ROCK 111 


boys had learned most of the important features of the weaving industry 
and could be seen at work on the large looms making various kinds of 
cloth including towelling. It has been demonstrated that any kind of good 
serviceable cloth can be made in the Boys’ Orphanage but it still remains 
to be seen if a steady market can be developed for the product, for, if this 
end fails, the whole industry is doomed to failure. . Rug making was also 
started at Sankra and several men had learned to make good quality rugs 
of fine pattern but this industry, too, suffered on account of lack of a local 
market. 


Carpentry School and Shop 


About the year 1906 a small carpenter shop was opened at Rudri, 





Weaving 


under a tree, for the purpose of making articles of furniture for the 
missionaries. Orphanage boys were set to work with experienced 
carpenters to learn the trade. The boys learned to make small useful 
articles. It was later decided to start a carpentry school in which the boys 
would be taught mathematics and drawing, as well as practical carpentry. 
A course was prepared and four boys started on it under a trained carpenter 
who had passed his Bombay School of Arts examination. In 1917 this 
carpentry school became the Mennonite Mission Carpentry School entirely 
supported by the Government. They provide a competent instructor who is 


112 BUILDIN GAON! THE ;ROCK 


able to take the students through practical carpentry and drawing. ‘The 
boys are also taught calculating and estimating. Boys who have passed 
this course are able to make furniture from drawings made by themselves. 
On the completion of the course the Government provides a certificate and 
a free set of tools. 

A very serious objection in connection with the school was the fact 
that scholarships were provided by the Government for non-Christian 
students only. Christian students were permitted to attend free of tuition 
and if successful, were given a certificate and a free set of tools but their 
scholarships had to be provided privately. Representations were made to 
the Government to have this disability removed but without success. 
Finally on one of the official visits to the school by the Deputy 
Commissioner of the district, Mr. De, a Hindu, the matter was mentioned 
to him who at once declared the condition unfair and that such discrimina- 
tion must be removed. He accordingly moved the Government with the 
request that at least two scholarships for Christian students should he 
sanctioned. His request was forwarded to higher authorities through the 
Commissioner, Mr. Khan, a Mohammedan, who readily endorsed it. In 
due time we were officially informed that two scholarships for Christian 
boys were sanctioned—one for a first year student and one for a second 
year student. It is now hoped that in due course of time more 
scholarships for Christian boys will be received. 


Along with the carpentry school the Mission also had its own carpenter 
shop carried on as a commercial enterprise. All kinds of furniture were 
made. Orders were received from our own missionaries, from missionaries 
of other missions, from Government and from Government officers for 
private use. In 1914 machinery was installed including a band saw, circular 
rip saw, combined mortising and boring machine, iron drill machine and 
emery wheels all turned by an eight horse power oil engine. For a number 
cf years the work was pushed rapidly and, as more than fifty employees 
were at work about the shop, the Government declared us a factory and 
placed us under the factory act which meant that we had to undergo an 
annual inspection by the Government factory inspector and had to conform 
to certain factory rules. The annual turnover in the shop never exceeded 
$3,000.00 but as the prices charged for the articles were not large this 
represented no small volume of business. 

Owing to the fact that the manager of the Mission carpenter shop had, 
as a rule, too many other duties to occupy his time the work in the shop 
could never be adequately supervised and the inevitable leakage kept the 


BUILDING ONS THE ROCK 113 


shop from earning all it should have earned. On this account it was 
allowed to dwindle down to about twenty employees and continued for a 
number of years longer when it was decided to make a bold move and ask 
several Indian Christian carpenters of considerable experience to take over 
the work of the carpenter shop on their own responsibility. They were at 
first reluctant to take over such a responsibility but after not a little 
persuasion on the part of the manager and a hint that in all probability 
the shop would be closed, two carpenters agreed to make the venture. This 
was in 1921. For a while they were permitted to use the mission shop 
building free of rent but they are now located on their own land ina 
building of their own with a business that does them credit. The Mission 
still appoints a missionary to act as advisor but this has been in the last 


year or two largely nominal. 


Agriculture 


Agriculture is the leading occupation in India. Fully ninety per cent 
of the people of India live in villages which means that most of the people 





Rug-making at Sankra 


114 | BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


live from the produce of the soil. It is thus easily seen that whatever 
industries are introduced for the support of the Christian community, 
agriculture must be the chief occupation for our people. The point was 
emphasized as early as 1903 when Rudri station, including about thirty 
acres of farm land, was purchased. But the mission desired a place to 
locate the boys and girls of the orphanages who would soon marry and 
settle in homes of their own. With this in view Balodgahan village was 
purchased in 1906. The village consists of 845 acres of land and cost Rs, 
8000 (nearly $2,700.00). 

We must first understand what an Indian village is. It is not, as in 
America, a small town but a land unit. That is, it is a large farm, or 
rather a land unit, containing a number of small farms. The people 
owning these small farms, instead of living on their own holdings, all live 
in the same place or “basti’’ (residence section) and farm their farms from 
this small town. Villages vary in size from a few hundred to a few 
thousand acres. The village is in charge of a head man, or malguzar, who 
collects the revenue from the tenant farmers and pays it to the Government 
officers. Although villages are bought and sold yet the purchaser does not 
buy all the land of the village for himself but he exercises authority over 
the entire village. The farmers in the village are really tenant farmers for 
they may not sell their land without the sanction of the malguzar who 
erants such sanction after stipulating the amount he himself will have to 
realize from the sale of the land which may amount to half of the purchase 
price of the land. 


As was stated above Balodgahan consists of 845 acres of land of which 
the Mission is malguzar or head man. The Mission administers the affairs 
of the village through one of its missionaries appointed for that task. Of 
the total acreage of the land only about one hundred acres are actually 
farmed by the Mission. 


It was at first difficult to carry out the original purpose in connection 
with the village to locate boys and girls on the farms. Our Christian young 
men were poor and so did not possess the necessary cash to invest in land 
but by dint of perseverance on the part of the missionaries and by saving 
of hard cash on the part of the young men the original purpose is at 
last being realized and at the time of publishing this book twenty-five 
farmers are located in Balodgahan with possessions varying from half an 
acre to forty acres each. The value of the village has greatly increased and 
is now valued at about $7,000.00. 


It is a very encouraging fact that not only in Balodgahan but in other 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 115 


stations and villages as well our Christian people are investing their small! 
savings in land. This has been going on steadily for many years interrupted 
only during famine years when it was impossible to save any money. The 
last three or four years have added many acres to the increasing amount of 
land owned by our Christian people. 


The mango tree is usually 
somewhat larger than our stand- 
ard apple trees, resembling them 
in its branching, but is more sym- 
metrical in shape. The leaves are 
shaped like those of the peach 
tree, but are larger. New leaves 
come out in the dry season, and 
the old leaves persist until the 
new ones are formed. The blos- 

AG Mancoulree soms are in the form of a panicle 
like those of the chestnut and 
buckeye. The fruit hangs in clusters, generally only one or two remaining 
to be fully developed. The mango fruit is in shape like a plum, but from 
three to six inches long. The seed is large, 
and between it and the smooth skin is the 
edible part, or flesh, in texture like that of 
a plum, and in taste like—a mango! Eat- 
ing a mango is a new experience. The 
nearest suggestion to its taste in America 
is that of the May apple, and that sugges- 
tion is rather remote.—R. 








A Bunch of Mangoes 


(Cie Waid rTP ISRS 1B6 
TRAINING THE MIND 


Iéducation has been defined as “a process of living and not a preparation 
for future living.’ This is the viewpoint of the missionaries of the 
American Mennonite Mission and in their efforts to evangelize and 
Christianize the people, they have not failed to utilize this important 
evangelistic agency. 

To quote the words of one who had for many years been directly 
connected with the work of religious education in India: 

“The schoolmaster sees in India an inviting sphere in which to conquer 
illiteracy. Some stern facts face him: He knows that less than one quarter 
of the boys of school age, i. e., five to twelve years, are in school. He 
knows that more than one in three of these boys after leaving school revert 
to illiteracy. He knows that the case of the girls is still more pitiable. He 
knows that the Indian parent, who should cooperate with him, is far from 
being an ally. He knows that many boys are only educated so that their 
parents may marry them to the wealthiest brides. He knows that 
Government neutrality requires silence on religion in Government schools. 
He knows that morality, not based on religion, and religion not wedded to 
conduct, is fatal He knows that education which does not issue in 
character is abortive, as is proved by the history of Indian student 
anarchists. He knows too, that the thing which the teacher needs for 
himself and his pupil is purified personality—a rare commodity and of 
great value. The schoolmaster is well nigh baffled when he contemplates, 
but nevertheless goes forward trying to conquer illiteracy.” 

It is true in all lands that ignorance and superstition go hand in hand. 
Horrible things are practiced by heathen people who do them because of 
religious custom or because of a superstitious regard for the gods thev 
profess to worship. It is the purpose of Christian education to enlighten 
ihe people and give them the opportunity to enjoy the true light as it is 
found through Christ. One of the first desires of many new converts to 
the Christian faith is to read the Bible for themselves and in order to do 
this it is first necessary to teach them how to read before they can enjoy 
the rich treasures of God’s storehouse. _Parasram, one of the early 





BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


Balodgahan 


School, 


Girls’ 





117 


converts, was very anx- 
ious to read the Word 
of God for himself and 
asked Bro. Burkhard to 
teach him to read. His 
case is typical of many 
others. 

Education is not like 
a business that earns 
profits to maintain itself. 
It enjoys no material or 
financial income as a re- 
sult of its own efforts. 
In other words, it must 
be supported entirely by 
those who are really in- 
terested in that kind of 
work. At home the pub- 
lic schools are supported 
by the taxes of the peo- 
ple. Higher education is 
maintained by the gifts 
and donations of those 
interested in the cause. 
The same is true in In- 
dia where there are not 
enough Government 
schools to enable all the 
children to attend school 
and where existing Goy- 
ernment schools, being 
neutral in religious mat- 
ters, have no _ provision 
for teaching religion to 
the boys and girls who 
do attend. 


First Schools 


The first school in 
the Mission was the Or- 


118 BUILDING ON: THE ROCK 


phanage school opened in the rainy season of 1900. ‘The immediate pur- 
pose of the school was to keep busy for a part of the day a family of nearly 
400 boys and girls while the ultimate purpose was to give Christian teach- 
ing in order to prepare them to take their places in the future India Men- 
nonite Church. The same motive has continued to impel the maintaining 
of orphanage schools. In order to fulfil this purpose the training OL ithe 
hands as well as the heart and head have not been overlooked but, because 
of Indian ideals, customs and conditions in general, that phase of education 
has presented perhaps the most perplexing problems in our schools. 


The Orphanage schools continued as separate schools called the Boys’ 
Orphanage and the Girls’ Orphanage Schools up to the present time. 
During the years it was necessary for these schools to shift much of the 
{ime in temporary buildings but at the close of the period under review it 
is with gratitude that we can say that both these schools are accommodated 





English School Dormitory, Dhamtari 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 119 


in satisfactory schoolhouses. The Boys’ Orphanage schoolhouse was 
provided by the young people of Denbigh, Virginia, while much of the 
money for the Girls’ Orphanage schoolhouse came through the Sewing 
Circles. 

In the first years of the Mission the children of Christian parents were 
taken into the Orphanages to attend school when they became of school age. 
This was done because these were the only schools available to them. The 
growth of the Church, together with the crowded condition in the 
Orphanages, due to the influx from the famines, created the need for the 
station primary schools which were opened for boys at Balodgahan in 1912, 





Village School, Maradeo 


for girls and boys at Ghatula in 1918, and at Sankra in 1921, and the one 
at Sundarganj for girls was revived in 1923. In order to make it possible 
for as many as possible of the children of school age to attend these 
schools under suitable conditions, it has been arranged to give the poorest 
of these children, whe come from their own homes, some cooked food in 
what are called “school kitchens.” This prevents the children from being 


120 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


undernourished and in this way they learn better and it gives them a 
chance to grow up under more nearly normal conditions. 

In the primary schools five years of work are covered. Those who pass 
the fifth class examinations receive a certificate from Government and pass 
into the Middle School which covers three years of work at the completion 
of which the student is prepared to enter High School. In the Mission we 
have two middle schools, one for boys and one for girls the former being at 





Girls’ School at Sundarganj 


Dhamtari and the latter at Balodgahan. Those of our Christians’ children 
passing from any of the Mission Primary schools, who wish to take further 
school work, are admitted into the Orphanages or dormitory, as the case 
may be, and continue their work in the Mission Middle Schools. 


Village Schools 


Village primary schools were first opened in 1902. In the section of 
Dhamtari where the untouchable classes live a school was opened specially 
for them because the children of these people were forbidden to attend 
schools where the higher classes attend. The indifference of the parents 
of these children, the underhanded opposition of higher classes, and lack of 
efficient teachers made it necessary to close this school. Government has 
in recent years issued an order for this district admitting the children of 
depressed classes to schools where other children attend. Two other 
schools had to be closed, one because of political pressure and the other 
because of its unhealthful location. Other schools in the villages were 


DLO DIN GarO Nes brie @ Ck 121 


opened and maintained up to the present time. The schools are Maradeo, 
Bhatgaon, Gopalpuri, Bagtarai and Kaspur. 

After twenty-five years of experience in connection with primary school 
work the Mission has come to the conclusion noted as follows: 1. Primary 
schools are a necessity for the Christian community and must be 
maintained as long as the Government is not in a position to do all of this 
much needed work. Otherwise the next generation of Christians will be 
largely illiterate. 2. These schools are an effective evangelistic agency. 
3. The Government curricula taught in these schools are too theoretical and 
not sufficiently related to the environing life of the children. 4. A great 
improvement in these schools is possible if the curricula can be changed 





Sankra Station School 


and the teaching made more practical and interesting. Plans are under 
way by the Mission to have this brought about. 

In 1901 the municipality of Dhamtari found itself unable to continue 
their English Middle School. The Mission was approached with the view 


eyweyd ‘ooysg yYsysugq 


rE dco ce 





BUILDING ON+ THE, ROCK 123 


of taking over the school as a Mission school. After careful consideration 
it was decided to take over this school as it would serve as a useful part 
f the activities of the Mission in making Christ known to the people of 
Dhamtari for: first, it would make it possible to give Bible instruction to 
the boys from certain classes in Dhamtari who could not be reached in any 
other way; second, it would open homes for teaching by Bible women that 
could not be entered otherwise; third, it would train leaders for the Church; 
fourth, it would make it possible to train our own boys of Christian parents 
under our own control that would otherwise take training away from the 
Mission under alienating influences; and, fifth, it would give some of the 
leaders of the Church a knowledge of English, thus opening up to them 
literature that would otherwise not be available to them. This school grew 
from three boys on a bench in the old hospital building at Dhamtari until 
now it enrolls a hundred and four boys in both its middle and high school 
departments. It was raised to the status of a High School in 1912. 

When we consider the fact that only three per cent of India’s 
population are literate, we can realize the task that lies before the 
educational missionary and the corresponding opportunity is too stupendous 
to be missed. Government is increasing the number of schools. The 
number receiving instruction in schools in 1924 is over 8,000,000 while 
twenty-five years ago the number was only 2,000,000. There is a growing 
tendency toward education on the part of the Indian people. It is for 
Missions to decide whether the education which they receive is to be 
Christian or non-Christian. It is true that many who have passed through 
mission schools have not openly accepted Christ. However, due to the 
teaching received in mission schools many of the non-Christians of India 
have a great ad- 
HLit action. = for 
Christ and very 
many are Bible 
readers. It may 
require another 
generation of mis- 
sionary effort be- 
tore “the caste- 
bound pupils in 
primary — schools 
in the villages a- 
bout us accept 





Boys’ School, Dhamtari 


124 BUILDING; ON THE “ROCK 


Him in great numbers but we believe that that time will come. 

More than once we had had intimations from Hindus that in case 
Iuropeans would have to leave the country (which God forbid) educational! 
missionaries would be asked to remain to carry on their work. What a 
great opportunity would remain for educational. workers in such an 
emergency ! 


Survey of Literacy 


of 
Members of the India Mennonite Church 

No Items Men Women. Total 
Ly iisia Claso™ Primary, 11 17 28 
eek Pauie : 19 13 2 
Sera ae : 24 Dh 51 
4, 4th “ 2 28 16 oa 
By hohe a = 7\ 72 143 
6. Middle School Department 26 Ze 48 
7. High School Department 2 0 2 
8. Read in High School but not completed 14 3 lige 
9. Special Training—Bible School, Nursing, 

Medicine lee 5 ZO 
10. Number still going to school 168 176 344 
11. Number who have never gone to school 174 44 518 
12. Number of Christian children between 

5 and 15 who are not in school + 13 17 

Totals 556 708 1264 


Up until last year the Central Provinces school system was run on the 
5—3—4 basis. That classification has therefore been used in this survey. 
The item 5—3—4 means that the Primary School includes the first five 
grades, Middle School the next three, and High School the last four. 
Completion of Middle School in India, therefore, roughly corresponds to a 
completion of common schoo] in the United States. 

In the above table the number listed after each item indicates the 
number of men and women who have completed that grade. 

People who have not read beyond the second Primary class can hardly 
be called literate. Therefore adding the totals of items one and two to 
No. 11 it gives us a total of five hundred seventy-eight illiterates. In other 
terms, this says that out of every hundred members fifty-four can read and 
write while forty-six cannot. This at first seems discouraging, and it is 
an index to peculiar and difficult problems, but comparative figures: give 
more encouragement. Out of India’s three hundred twenty-three million 
only about eighteen million can read; out of every hundred Hindus, five 


BUILDING ONT LH E tROCK 125 


can read; out of every hundred Mohammedans, three can read; and out of 
every hundred Indian Christians, sixteen can read. Our Mennonite Church 
is therefore thirty-eight per cent more literate than the average of Indian 





Bhatgaon Village School, Two Miles from Dharntari 


Christians while the great difference between the Christians and the non- 
Christians is evident without comparative figures. 

Another most encouraging feature is item 12. This says that all but 
a few of our Christian children that 
ought to be in school are there. This 
of course does not say that after a 
generation the membership of the 
India Mennonite Church will be one 
hundred per cent liter- 
ate. It might be if we 
received no new illiter- 
ate converts, but since 
ios om sthem ‘come 
from the uneducated 
masses we will have 


this problem always. Custard Apples 






CHAP IIR aX 


WORK AMONG THE LEPERS 


As early as 1880 there was a small community of lepers near Dhamtari. 
A few miserable huts sufficed to give them a little shelter while some rich 
people from Dhamtari provided occasional doles of rice for them but their 
chief living was made by begging in the town and from village to village. 
Often when travellers passed their way, the lepers would line up in front 
of them and levy a contribution before they would 
allow them to pass. 

In the famine of 1900, thousands of poor people 
were gathered into so-called kitchens and fed cooked 
food. The lepers of this vicinity had a hard time of 
it. They could not be allowed to eat with other 
people and begging, their usual means of support, 
yielded them but little result; for nearly everyone 
was 1n want as much as they were. So kind famine 
officers gathered the lepers together and organized 
a separate kitchen for them. Sheds with mud walls 
were erected, which served to protect them for the 
first rainy season. Then came the close of the fam- 
ine and the question of the disposition of 
of the lepers had to be decided. To let them 
go back to a life of beggary was not to be 
thought of if another way could be devised. 
Again the Government officers came to the 
relief and a generous supply of rice was al- 
lowed the lepers so that there was no need 
of outside help for some time. 

About this time an effort was made to 
raise money locally for their permanent sup- 
port. Nearly $170.00 was subscribed and a 
committee was formed for the management 
of the proposed Leper Asylum. Of this com- 
mittee the Superintendent of the American 













BUIEDING ON] THE AROCK r27 


Mennonite Mission was to act as secretary and he opened communication 
with the Mission to Lepers in India and the East, of Edinburgh, Scotland, 
who promptly responded with a remittance of fifty pounds (about $220.00) 
for immediate wants of the lepers and also promised a yearly grant of $580.00, 
on condition that we be allowed free access to the lepers and that a Christian 
caretaker be placed in charge. After considering the matter in its various 
phases, the local committee thought it best to turn the funds with the entire 
management and responsibilities of the Asylum over to the Mennonite 
Mission. Accordingly, the malguzar of Dhamtari gave to the Mission a 
deed of gift for the land where the Leper Asylum was to be located. The 
Leper Asylum property was later deeded over to the Mission to Lepers for 
thirty-three cents. The Mission to Lepers has no missionaries of their 
own but they assume the financial responsibilities for the support of lepers 





Men’s Wards in the Old Leper Asylum 


and their untainted children, and administer the funds through missionaries 
of the various societies already on the field. 

In July, 1902, the Mission to Lepers made their first official visit to 
the Dhamtari Asylum through Thomas A. Bailey, the Honorary Organizing 
Secretary for India. On the occasion of this visit arrangements were made 
for about twice as much land as had originally been given. In the same 
vear the Government sanctioned a grant of fiftv cents per month for each 
leper in the Asylum. Because of this grant the Leper Asylum is subject to 
inspection by government officials and these visits are a great help to the 


128 BUILDING: ONUtETi Ph SROGCK 


management of the Asylum and they help to point out defects and assist 
in maintaining discipline in the Asylum. The official visitors include the 
Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, and the Civil Surgeon of the 
district and the Inspector-General of Civil ‘Hospitals “ot. ‘the Central 
Provinces. 


First Buildings 


The first solid buildings for housing the lepers were begun in 1902. 
All the material for the roofs of these first buildings was donated by the 
Forestry Department of the Government of India. The building work 
continued until there were three solid buildings for the occupancy of lepers 
besides a combined office and storeroom and a modest little church. The 
latter, which consisted of a floor and roof held up by means of pillars, was 
completed in 1905 and the lepers contributed towards the building about 
ten dollars worth of rice which they themselves had raised. There being 
more buildings required for the accommodation of lepers and more land on 
which to put them, application was made to the Government for the required 
land. The Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces (now designated 
Governor) was pleased to sanction a grant of over eight acres of land for 
the use of the Asylum. Later a small additional plot was acquired, making 
the total amount of land belonging to the Asylum a little more than twelve 
acres. On this extended plot three wards for men, each to accommodate 
twenty-four lepers, were erected besides a new office and dispensary and 
a new church. Several houses to accommodate members of the staff and 
a new home for untainted boys completed the buildings. 

In about 1915 the Government raised the per capita grant for the 
maintenance of lepers from fifty cents a month to sixty-five cents and 
several vears later raised the amount to one dollar, and the children to 
half.the amount which is what they still receive. This represents about 
half of what it costs to support the lepers, the rest of the support being 
furnished through the Mission to Lepers. 


The New Asylum 


On account of the increasingly large number of lepers applying for 
admittance into the Asylum it was decided to erect at once three additional 
wards provided more land could be purchased. But the original twelve 
acres were so hemmed in by roads, orchards, and public “tanks” that it was 
decided to remove the Asylum to a new site about five miles ‘from 
Dhamtari. This would take the Asylum out of the Municipality of 
Ohamtari—a very desirable change. About 115 acres of land were 





The Lepers 


130 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


purchased for the sum of $2400.00. The Government had agreed to pay half 
the cost of the new Asylum, the total cost of which was estimated at about 
$40,000.00. Up to date the Government has already paid $17,000.00. The 
new Asylum when complete will accommodate about four hundred lepers 
and will comprise some fifty separate buildings. It will be one of the best 
asylums in India. 

In order to appreciate the necessity of providing comfort for the lepers 
we must know something of the real nature of the disease and the 
consequent status of the poor leper. Leprosy is a loathsome disease and 
the poor unfortunates are veritable outcastes. There is no room tor them 
in the villages or near the habitations of man. They are as in the old 
Hebrew days, “without the camp,” and are considered “unclean.” A leper 
is not only turned out of his home and village but he is frequently disowned 
and disinherited. It is thus seen that from the standpoint of the lepers 
themselves places should be provided where they might receive humane 
treatment. Then from the viewpoint of a healthy community it is 
necessary to segregate the lepers. If they are permitted to roam about at 
will, begging in the villages and bazaars, having free access to the village 
wells and tanks, there is great danger of contamination. or these two 
reasons every effort should be made to segregate the lepers and give them 
proper care. 


Leprosy 


Just what is leprosy? It is a loathsome disease bearing some relation 
to cancer or tuberculosis. Frequently the fingers and toes drop off because 
of decay of the tissues. The process of ulceration is attended with much 
pain and if the ulcers are not properly cleansed the stench is very great. 
Leprosy is caused by bacteria somewhat akin to the bacillus of tuberculosis. 
The bacilli leprae are very resistant to treatment. At a conference of 
Leper Asylum Superintendents held in Calcutta the following findings were 
recorded: 


1. That leprosy is contagious, but slowly, with a long incubation 
period, through the escape of the causative bacillus in the nasal 
discharges of the majority of cases, which include many early cases 
having no outwardly visible ulceration, and to a less extent from open 
sores. 

2. That the disease is not directly hereditary, children being free 
from actual infection at birth, but they are specially susceptible from 
an early age, children as a class being more susceptible than adults. 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


These facts necessitate the earliest possible 
separation of infants and children from infect- 
ed leper parents. 

3.. That in view of the preceding opin- 
ions segregation is the most effective measure 
for reducing the prevalence of leprosy, and 
the grave danger to the community of unre- 
stricted association with lepers. 

There are several types of leprosy—the anaes- 
thetic, the nodular, and a mixture of the two. 
The former is known by its anaesthetic patches 
of skin on different parts of the body, especially 
on the back and thighs, which are insensible to 
pain. In its incipient stages there may be no 
other indication of leprosy. The nodular type 
develops nodules especially on the face and ears, 
badly disfiguring the leper. 


A Cure for Leprosy 


Various experiments have been made as to 
finding a cure for the disease. The first experi- 
ment developed a vaccine called leprolin. Nastin 
was a later development but neither of these two 
experiments proved useful. For a very long time 
it was known that chaulmoogra oil is very useful 
in the treatment of leprosy, but it was found that 
sufcient quantities of the nauseating oil could 
not be taken internally so as to produce the de- 
sired effect. Interested doctors began to experiment 
with the oil with the view of extracting the active 
principles and injecting them in their concentrated 
form into the body of the leper. These experi- 
ments were tedious and expensive but finally they 
resulted in a product which, if properly used, 
holds out the utmost hope to the unfortunate vic- 
tim of the dread disease. Dr. E. Muir of the 
School of Tropical Medicines, Calcutta, has re- 
cently perfected a method whereby ester extracts 
of chaulmoogra and other oils are made available 
for very extended use in the various asylums. A 


131 





The Beginning of the New Leper Asylum at Shantipur, Five Miles from Dhamtari 


132 BUILDIN GAON “THE® ROCK 


brief description of this wonderful treatment by D+. Muir appears below: 


“Both the ethyl esters (prepared from ethyl alcohol and the methyl 
esters (prepared from methyl alcohol) may be used both intra- 
muscularly and intravenously. We have not noticed any advantage in 
the one over the other except that the ethyl ester is cheaper to produce. 
They are clear fluids, which do not form a solution with water and 
which when shaken up with blood serum form an emulsion which 
rapidly separates out again, the ester rising to the surface. 

“They are, however, sufficiently fluid to pass through the capillaries 
of the lungs, though in some patients there would appear to be some 
little difficulty connected with this passage, especially in the first 
intravenous injections. 

“The ethyl esters of other oils, such as cod liver oil, neem oil, olive 
aud linseed oils and the oil of the soya bean, are also beneficial in 
leprosy, but our own experience, as well as that of most of those who 
have had much experience of the treatment of leprosy, puts the 
preparations of chaulmoogra and hydnocarpus oils in a position 
superior to those of other oils. Among these preparations again the 
esters undoubtedly take the first place. 

“Chaulmoogra and hydnocarpus oils are derived from the ripe 
seeds of two trees belonging to the same natural order, Taraktogenos 
Kurzii and Hydnocarpus Wightiana respectively. The oils of several 
of the species of this order have these distinguishing features that they 
contain a series of fatty acids with a molecule containing a closed 
carbon ring and in the polarimeter show themselves to be dextraro- 
tatory to light. 

“The therapeutic efficiency of these oils in leprosy seems to be 
due to these fatty acids. Chaulmoogra and hydnocarpic acids, both 
belonging to this series, form a large proportion of these fatty acids 
but it is probable that other fatty acids belonging to this series are 
also contained in these oils although they have not yet been separated 
out in their pure chemical form. We therefore use the ethyl esters of 
the whole fatty acids and believe that they are almost, if not entirely, 
as efficient as any combination of fractions.” 


Those who have helped to minister to the temporal and spiritual needs 
of the lepers can testify that during the quarter of a century just past, the 
work has been attended with much pleasure and encouragement. Medicine, 
sanitation, and a Christian attitude and sympathy towards these poor 
people have worked wonders among them. It is a rule with the Mission 


BUILDING ON, THE ROCK 133 


to Lepers to leave the matter of religious conviction voluntary on the part 
of the inmates of their asylums, even church going being left to the 
pleasure of the lepers. This Asylum has not been an exception to that 
rule. But notwithstanding this fact, in the year 1902, out of an enrolment 
of 160 inmates, 95 desired and received baptism and the last Sunday of that 
year was made memorable by the observance of the first communion held 
in the Asylum. Again in the year 1908 forty-one more were baptized and 
received into the Church. Since that time it has been the rule among the 
lepers to desire baptism after a short time in the Asylum, their baptism 
being deferred only long enough to give them time and opportunity to 
receive definite teaching and instruction in the tenets of the faith. 


Testimonies 


In a meeting one Christmas day, one of the lepers gave a short talk. 
He told about how they had suffered before they knew anything about 
Jesus. He said many had been mere living skeletons, and the pus was 
oozing from their sores. Some had no place to sleep except under trees. 
How different their condition now! They have good, clean food to eat 
and clean water to drink and to bathe in, and all are fat and happy. 
“What,” he said, “has brought about this change? Believing on the Jord 
Jesus Christ.” Then he sat down. One woman whose fingers and toes 
are entirely eaten off by the disease, whose hands and feet are mere 
stumps, though without open sores, and whose eyes have been destroyed 
by the dread disease, asked for ten days’ leave to go a distance of twenty- 
five miles to “see” her sister. The leave was granted and she, with another 
woman, made the trip and returned a day sooner than the required time. 
One man desired before his death to dispose of his money which amounted 
to about ten dollars. One-third was put into the treasury of the leper 
church, one-third to feed the lepers some special food, and the remaining 
third was to be given to poor people. 

The lepers have for many years been giving a portion of their daily 
food for some special object. One time they decided to send a nice 
contribution to the famine sufferers in China. Several times they made a 
present to the superintendent. For many years they have been sending 
contributions to the Bible Society. And for several years they have decided 
to use the money for the support of a native colporteur who preaches the 
Gospel and sells religious books in villages and bazaars. For many years 
Christmas time has been a special time of rejoicing among the lepers, for, 
besides receiving their regular clothes and sweets, a box of good things 
has arrived each year from Scotland, sent by the friends of the lepers. 


134 





BUILDING ON. THE ROCK 


The Leper Asylum Church and Dispensary, now Vacated for the New Asylum 


There have been a 
number of almost heart- 
breaking experiences in 
connection with the 
work \ vot sb ithe sa epes 
Asylum. A number of 
children of lepers who 
had been in the Orphan- 
ages and thought to be 
free from the disease 
developed the unmistak- 
able signs of the dread 
disease and _ therefore 
could no longer remain 
among healthy children. 
It-. is: impossible; vere 
describe the anguish of 
those boys and_ girls 
who in this. condition 
had to go to. the Leper 
Asylum. Others outside 
of the untainted children 
were called upon to pass 
through such suffering. 
One such was Barsan. 
who became a Christian 
early in the history of 
the Mission. He was a 
very successful  colpor- 
teur for a number of 
years. He developed a 
stubborn sore on one of 
his toes and for some 
time was able to keep 
it hid but it continued 
to give him trouble until 
it was discovered that 
he was a leper. *The 
experience) Wwasw a sand 
one but he was finally 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 135 


induced to leave his family and live in the Asylum. He continued his 
Christian work for many years in the Asylum, being a great help to the 
missionary in charge until the disease got the upper hand and he died in 
the Asylum. 

Klizabeth is another one who had gone through such an experience. 
she was the wife of a native preacher of the Methodist Church at 
Jubbulpore. She became a leper and was sent by their mission to Dhamtari 
to be admitted into our Asylum. She was indeed a faithful Christian 
woman and very intelligent. She was head matron of the women’s ward 
in the Asylum from the time she came into the Asylum until she died a 
victim of the terrible disease. 

Margamma is another one of these sufferers. She came from another 
part of the Central Provinces and spoke another language. She was lonely 
indeed when she arrived at Dhamtari where language and even customs 
were different from her own. She is’avfhne Christian character and’ has 





Women’s Wards, New Asylum 


been a wonderful help in the work among the women in the Asylum. She 
also. conducted the school for leper~girls in the Asylum. She is still 
a faithful helper in that work. 

Janki was among the early inmates of the Asylum. She came as. a 
3rahmin and lived as such for a short while in the Asylum, when she too 
decided to become a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was soon 
given some responsibilities and assisted greatly in the work among the 


136 BUILDING SON CGTHE; ROCK 


women. During the last ten years she experienced much suffering and the 
disease affected her eyes so that in her last years she was almost blind, 
but she was patiently awaiting the summons from above to go and meet 
her Lord. When she realized that she had only a very few days to live she 
requested that the money she had saved while in the Asylum, which 
amounted to about ten dollars, be used for the purchase of a cow so that 
the other sick lepers would have milk to drink. She died happy in her 
Lord relieved at last of her great suffering. 

The new Asylum at Shantipur is a great boon to the lepers of our 
district. True, the Asylum is a voluntary institution and there is no 
attempt made at present to enforce the leper act which would compel all 
pauper lepers to come into a leper asylum, and many lepers still prefer to 
wander around from place to place begging for their living. But those who 
come to the Asylum are ready to testify that it means a great blessing to 
those who avail themselves of the opportunity. The utmost effort is put 
forth to make the lepers as comfortable as possible and all the lepers are 
provided with good, wholesome food and live in very good houses. They 
are taught the rich truths of God’s Word and are pointed to the “Lamb of 
God which taketh away the sin of the world.” About forty cases are 
under the special leper treatment. The Superintendent lives near the 
Leper Asylum where the work can be carefully supervised and where he 
can give close attention to the needs of the untainted children who live in 
separate homes specially provided for them. 

Government officers, Hindus, and Mohammedans, all alike, declare that 
there is no other work in India that is so worthy and so commendable 
as that among the poor lepers whom the ordinary folks have rejected from 
their communities. We believe that many non-Christians have been 
impressed with the Christian religion through the work among lepers in 
India. 





CHAPTER X] 
FAMINES AND RELIEF WORK 


Had there been no famine in India, would the work of the American 
Mennonite Mission of Dhamtari, C. P., ever have been established? 
Following up the work, which had been done by our people in America, 
of giving relief to the people in India in the great famine of 1896-1897 was 
one of the things that impelled the people at home to think of taking up 
mission work in this part of the world. Many people at home can still 
recall the days when brethren came around to collect money to send to 
india in order to keep the people from starving. Our missionaries were 
sent to India as a direct result of what had been done in that famine. 

They had no more than reached India and were not yet located at 





A Famine Camp at Balodgahan 


Dhamtari when India was again in the throes of another famine as wide- 
spread as the former. There was already acute suffering when they reached 
Dhamtari and there was no time to be lost. Temporary huts in which to 
live were hastily constructed and relief work was started. For this purpose 


O06T-668T fo Fag eurumey 





BUILDING ON THE 'ROCK 139 


liberal sums of money were received from 
America while the Local Government ap- 
propriated large sums of money and _ or- 
ganized extensive relief work. Bro. J. A. 
Ressler was appointed by the Government 
as assistant famine charge officer, and Dr. 
Page was busy attending to the medical 
Heedcwoleticapeupic. 

The distress was very great and peo- 
ple began to migrate from one section of 
the country to another in the hope that 
better conditions might be encountered. 
In order to relieve this distress the Gov- 
ernment opened famine kitchens where 
starving people could get cooked food. 
Relief works were also opened in the form 
of digging wells, constructing roads, dig- 





Bro. Burkhard and a Famine Wai{ 


ging “tanks” (small reservoirs) where 
people able to work could earn a small 
daily wage with which to purchase grain 
from the Government grain — stores. 
There were at one time as many as 
nine thousand workmen in Bro. Ress- 
ler’s charge while twenty thousand peo- 
ple in thirty-eight villages were fed 
Government rations, under the direction 
of our Mission. In spite of all that was 
being done for the distressed people 
hundreds of them died. 

The temporary quarters so_ hastily 
constructed for the missionaries were 
soon replaced by more _— substantial 
houses, the unskilled labor for which 
was provided from Government famine 
funds. 





Famine Subjects 


140 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 





Gauri lying on the straw, 
has been rescued from star- 
vation and is now healthy 
and happy. 


Irrigation 


There was no failure of crops 
from 1900 to 1918 though dur- 
ing this period there were many 
years when the crops were far 
below normal. In the meantime 
the Government had spent many 
thousands of dollars on exten- 
sive irrigation projects, so that 
the farmers would not need to 
be absolutely dependent on the 
erratic rainfall. The Mahanadi 
Irrigation Canal concerns our 
Mission more directly because 
Rudri, one of our mission sta- 
tions, had to be given up to the 
Government to form headquarters for their offi- 
cial staff in connection with its construction. 
A dam has been built across the Mahanadi 
near Rudri and a canal dug extending a dis- 
tance of seventy-five miles with numerous dis- 
tributing canals branching from the main chan- 
nel. A large storage reservoir covering nine 
square miles was constructed fourteen miles 


from the Rudri dam, which is to furnish water. . 


for irrigation when the Mahanadi River supply 
is insufficient, This irrigation canal is capable 
of irrigating thousands of square miles of rice 
land and farmers within reach of the canal 
may now with more or less confidence sow 
their seed. But the thousands of farmers in 
our Mission Field out of reach of the canal 
are still dependent upon the rainfall. 


The rainfall of 1918 was short and caused 
famine conditions to prevail over this part of 
India. Conditions became very acute just be- 
fore the harvest of 1919. The suffering’ was 
greatly increased because this famine followed 
so closely upon the heels of the influenza epi- 


BUIEDING “ON “THE (ROCK 141 


demic and people were too weak to gather the meager harvests. Many 
homes were completely broken up. Another shortage of rain in 1920, though 
not wide-spread, caused much suffering in the affected areas. In both these 
famines the Mission was enabled to render effective help to thousands of 
suffering people through the generosity of a sympathetic Church in the 
homeland. But in spite of all that could be done many people came to our 
famine camps too late and died as a consequence. 


Relief Work 


Relief work was carried on at Sankra, Dhamtari, and Balodgahan. 
The poor people were given work at tank (reservoir) building, road 
making, and building construction work. In this way we were enabled to 
utilize the famine funds in providing permanent improvements as well as 
helping the starving people in their distress. Much help, however, had to be 
given to those who could not render any work in return. Hundreds of those 
who were helped in the famine camps fill our Orphanages and Widows’ 
Homes, and add to the numbers in our Christian community. At the close 
of the famine all in the camps and orphanages were given an opportunity 
to return to their homes, for it was the policy of the Mission not to baptize 
famine subjects until they had decided of their own choice, to remain in 
the Mission after the camps were closed. Christian teaching was a daily 
feature of famine camp administration and those of the camps who 
returned to their homes, no doubt carried with them something of the 
messages they received. In God’s good time many of these same people 
may be added to the kingdom of God. 

Five brothers came to the Balodgahan famine camp in 1919. Their 
parents were dead. ‘The brothers ranged in ages from three to twenty 
years. Their sickly and emaciated condition aroused the sympathy of 
every one. At once arrangements were made to provide the necessary help 
for they were in need of both food and medicine. One of the boys had bad 
open sores alive with maggots. But some of the brothers were too far gone 
to be saved and one after the other died until only one was left. He was 
fat when he came and very precocious, giving the impression of an expert 
beggar. Soon he was transferred to the Boys’ Orphanage at Dhamtari 
where he remained for about a year when he ran away. We were much 
disappointed for we had expected much from this boy of the basket maker 
CadeLe. 

Famines are a terrible thing and we hope they will not recur but 
thousands of people in India have first come to know of a loving Savior 


142 BUILDING ON'*THE ROCK 


through famines. Nearly 
all of our Christian work- 
ers’ sand: schools teachers 
as well as most of our 
Christian’ peop ke “have 
come to us through fam- 
ines, Would that the 
Church would again be a- 
roused to follow. up the 
work done in famine time 
by sending renewed forces. 
The opportunity for effect- 





ive: work vat! the. end’ of a 
quarter of a century has 
never been greater and the 
call for more .workers at 
no time more urgent. 


The three cuts on this 
page give a vivid proof of 
the good work done among 
the orphans. After three 





After Three Months in the Orphanage 


months the contrast is 
Sstrrk'i ney bur aires 
three years the change 
is almost beyond be- 
lief.—R. 





At the End of 1924 


CHARTER: XII 


THE HOME LIFE OF MISSIONARIES 


Many people at home have the idea that we missionaries either live in 
the same house and eat at the same table or very close together in the same 
station, something like the city missionaries. But this is not the case. 
Excepting where the nature of the work demands, it, missionary families 
live alone at their respective stations. At Dhamtari and Balodgahan where 
there is much work to do, several missionary families are located but in 
separate bungalows. In several cases a missionary family and a single 
ister live in the same house and it has frequently been necessary for two 
amilies to live in the same bungalow. This chapter is included to give 
the reader a glimpse into the home life of our missionaries. 

There is no particular reason why missionaries should not have as 
comfortable homes as, can reasonably be expected under foreign conditions 
consistent with their calling and efficiency. At the very best their homes 
are still far from being comfortable as the average Mennonite homes in 
America with all their modern conveniences. But whatever the building 
or environment may be it is the people that make the home. “Home its 
where the heart is, lie it East or lie it West.” 


s 
ft 


An Indian Bungalow 


Let us take a look, then, at an Indian bungalow such as a missionary 
family occupies. Here we see a brick building plastered inside and out 
about 40x80 outside measure. This covers a large floor space but along 
one side is a 12-foot veranda and the walls are 18 inches thick. There 
are two bed rooms 18x20, a dining room and a sitting room each 14x 16 
with an office and bathrooms and storeroom. The ceilings are 18 feet 
high. This makes large rooms but it is absolutely necessary on account 
of the great heat in the hot season when the thermometer does not drop 
below 90 for two months and may go as high as 115 in the shade. 

To add a little to our comfort in the hot season we bring into use what 
we call a “pankah.” This is a large fan twelve feet long and two feet or 
more wide attached to a pole and swings from the high ceiling. The 
pankah of Japanese matting just swings clear of our heads and is swung 


% 


4 





BUTE DUNG - ON VCE E ROCK 145 


back and forth by means of a rope which is attached to the pole and runs 
over a pulley out to the veranda where it is pulled by a coolie. 

By keeping the doors and windows carefully closed from nine o’clock 
till four, we manage to keep the indoor temperature about ten degrees 
cooler than the outdoor temperature in the shade. The coolie enjoys his 
job for he can sit in the shade while pulling the pankah at eight cents a 
day while others will have to work in the hot sun and earn no more. 

The office is the missionary’s work shop. Here he keeps his accounts, 
makes up his pay roll, keeps his records, writes his letters and reports. This 
work is done between interruptions. In the midst of a report he is likely 
to hear, “Sahib!” (Sir) and then begins another interview. Or if he does 
not hear the word, Sahib, he may hear what is more trying to his already 
overwrought nerves, namely, a coughing or a scraping of feet in order to 
attract his attention. He thinks he will finish the work in hand but the 
scraping and coughing continue with painful regularity and he finally 
succumbs, more to keep his nerves from going to pieces than to get on with 
the interview. 

Lhe bedroom has single beds fitted with frames over which is placed 





Vegetables 


a mosquito net. This precaution is necessary in order to ward off malaria 
breeding mosquitoes. Most missionaries sleep on the veranda all the year, 
having the beds carried there, excepting in the hot season when the beds 
are placed on the ground a short distance away from the bungalow. This 
is pleasant enough except when the wind blows hard or when it rains or 


WOOY Bulz}IS 





BUILDING ON’ THE” ROCK 147 


when leopards come prowling around the bungalow! The living room may 
contain an American rug laid over a bamboo matting covering the cement 
floor. Here are such articles of furniture as are seen in the picture and here 
is where the missionary family gather for prayers. And here in the different 
bungalows by turn is where the meetings of the Managing Committee and 
other committee meetings are held. 

The missionary sister (mem sahib or miss sahib), has her special 
responsibility in the home outside of her regular appointment. She sees 
that the home is kept in proper running order. She plans the meals and 
gives out the ingredients several times each day to the Indian man cook 
(Ouprepare them for the table. The jcook has not the same ideas ot 
cleanliness as we do and so must be constantly admonished by the mem 
sahib. He sits on the floor to pare the potatoes. He puts the bread board 


on the floor to mix the bread. He prefers to wash the dishes on the floor. 
When he considers the dish cloths 


and tea towels ready to be washed 
they are about the color of the 
stove! 

One of the trials of the “mem 
sahib” is the experience with the 
washerman. He is seen in the ac- 
companying picture washing clothes. 
After boiling the clothes in large 
copper boilers he beats them over a 
rough stone that takes the place of 
a washboard or washing machine. 
This process of washing is hard on 
the clothes and tries their every fi- 
ber and button, if there. are any. 
After the garment has been rinsed, 
dried, and ironed with a charcoal 
iron it 1s returned to its owner with 
any rents and places where buttons 
are missing carefully concealed by 
clever folding. Some of the mis- 
sionaries far away from Dhamtari 
have their washing done with Amer- 
can washing machines. 





Darjeeling Train 


148 BUILDING 


We all love and appre- 
ciate flowers, ferns, and 
shrubs. Many kinds grow 
easily with almost no at- 
tention, ~ They make our 
bungalows homelike and 
remind us of our American 
homes. Also they remind 
us of the heavenly Father 
who so tenderly cares for 
HlissOwsi (Ne yetone not, 
neither do they spin; yet 
I say unto you that even 
Solomon in all his glory 
was not arrayed like one of 
these.“ The gardens are a 
valuable source of food sup- 
ply for us. By the picture 
you can see that we have 
almost every kind of vege- 
table you grow at home. 


Tomatoes, peas, corn, and 


carrots may also be grown. 
We can really only count 
on the cold season for gar- 
dening. Pumpkins, egg- 
plant and lady-fingers can 
easily be obtained from the 
native markets where we 
get our rice, curry, and dal 
(a kind of split pea), also 
such tropical fruits as cus- 
tard apples, small bananas, 
and limes (a small lemon). 
The melon-like fruit in the 
left of the vegetable picture 
are papaiya which are very 
Lich in pepsitvessLhiceplanit 
bears fruit the next season 
after planting un'ess drown- 


ON! PHE- ROCK 





issionaries 


Children of M 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 149 


ed out in the rains. In Dhamtari a fruit and potato vender sells potatoes, 
oranges, guavas, etc., which have been shipped from other cities or from 
the hills. Potatoes vary in price from one dollar twenty-five cents to five 
dollars twenty-five cents a bushel, eggs are had locally at about twelve 
cents per dozen, ghi (clarified butter) can be had at about thirty-five cents 
per pound and is our substitute for lard. Butter is bought in tins at from 
thirty-five to forty-five cents per pound. Flour is ordered from Calcutta at one 
dollar seventy-five cents to two dollars per hundred pounds. These are approxi- 
mate prices at present prevailing. Shopping for groceries as well as dry goods is 
not as simple here as in America. There is no corner grocery, or general merchan- 
dise store where we can do our purchasing in a few hours. Here we sit down 
at our office table and scan some very incomplete catalogs which often do not 
even have the correct prices given. We write out the order and if we want 
it in a hurry, we say, “Send by passenger train” (express ). )) Then atsis not 
at all surprising if a clerk at the store makes a mistake and sends our box 
“goods” (freight). So we patiently (?) wait. When it finally does come 
it is not an uncommon experience to open a box only to find that the 
things most needed are missing. Upon examining the bill we find the words, 
“out of stock.” We have heard of outstation missionaries’ cooks making 
a failure of bread yeast and consequently having edible bread only two or 
three times in three months. The poor missionaries in question were so 
hungry for bread that when they did get some they could eat almost a loaf 
at one meal! Some order yeast from Canada, but the duty and other 
expenses are so high as to make it practically prohibitive unless a number 
of missionaries go together in the order. All goods ordered from 
Montgomery Ward & Co., cost us about twice the listed price by the time 
we get them here. Do you wonder that we have desk work and need files 
when we order sugar from one place, butter from another, groceries from an- 
other, etc., and keep duplicates of all until the orders are satisfactorily filled. 


The missionaries in and near Dhamtari entertain all visiting Europeans 
and take them to outstations if they desire to go. They also entertain the 
out-station missionaries for business meetings and committee meetings, etc. 
They act as proxies in looking after the mail and local business as well as 
taking delivery of goods and keeping it until called for as Dhamtari is the 
railway station for all our missionaries. On the evenings when there are 
no prayer meetings or other work, the missionary family relaxes a bit. 
They have a story with the children or a bit of quiet reading or write home 
letters. More often they are so tired that after the evening meal they at 
once have family worship and go off to bed. 


UPULIOYSE AA 





BUILDING ON THE ROCK 151 


The Children 


The children are in the hands of an ayah (native child nurse) a great 
part of the time up to school age. The mother of course personally 
prepares the food, cleans the bottles, gives the baths until the baby can sit 
up alone. The ayah as well as any other servant must be constantly 
reminded of many little details of her work, such as never letting the child 
be under the direct rays of the sun without his sola-topie (sun helmet). 
Phis needs a special caution on cloudy days as clouds are not sufficient 
shade and it is hard to determine the exact position of the sun. The 
mothers with children of school age go to the hills about March fifteenth. 
In this way they can board the children for several months as well as give 
them a bit of home life, of which they get little enough. What is a home 
without children? But what is a home whose children must be away to 
boarding school about nine months out of every year beginning at the age 
of six or seven? It is not pleasant to have our families separated every 
year. Missionaries do not enjoy having the husband and wife, or husband 
and wife and children separated. When mothers go to the hills with 
small children they cannot share with their husbands the heat, work, and 
dangers of the plains in the hot season. We even could not possibly go to 
them in less than four days or vice versa. We do not mean this as 
dissatisfaction or complaint but just to let you know that not all of our 
separation is finished when we leave our dear ones in the homeland. The 
sisters who have no small children, and the brethren have two months’ hill 
leaye every two years. The medical authorities strongly advise a month’s 
leave during the alternate year when the work can so be arranged. The 
work is important and exacting and needs healthy bodies with clear, active 
brains and not nervous wrecks. Hill furloughs are expensive, room rents 
are high, and three to five days of railway travel takes money. A part of 
the time at the hills is spent in attending conferences and conventions for 
deepening the spiritual life of the missionaries. We also have necessary 
dental work done while in the hills since on the plains no dentist is near. 
We never tire looking at the majestic Himalayan snow peaks in sunshine, 
cloud-shadow, or moonlight, this being one of the blessings of hill furlough. 

How do we get to the hills? By alternately travelling or waiting at 
stations day and night for from three to five days. This is especially trying 
for small children who grow very restless in the heat, dirt, and cinders. 
We usually travel third class and the compartments are roomy if not 
crowded, but have such poor toilet accommodations as to make them all 
but impossible for a family. And oh, the luggage! At every change 


152 BUILDING ON, ‘THE. ROCK 


we hire coolies to transfer it, keeping a lookout to see that all parcels 
arrive and are packed into the compartment which we hunt up and 
designate on our next train. We take as many as five to fifteen pieces of 
baggage with us in our compartment. These include bedding rolls, suit- 
cases, small trunks, hand-bags, parasols, lanterns, water pots for drinking 
water, and lunch baskets. Sometimes we travel for an entire day with no 











The slow-moving ox-tonga, still very 
useful, is being replaced by the auto- 
mobile, thus vastly increasing the 


usefulness of the missionary. 


RICKSHAW | 


stops where we can get a bite to eat. Night travelling is especially difficult 
for a woman alone with children. She must watch stations and have the 
bedding packed in time for any change. No brakeman on the train calls 
out the stations before we arrive there. After leaving the train we need 
to go some distance in a motor car or dandy or both to get to the top of 


BUTLDING ON) THE ROCK 153 


the mountains. In going to Darjeeling one takes advantage of the narrow 
gauge railway which takes one up the mountain. The engine is a powertul 
little machine taking four cars up the steepest grades with ease. The 
accompanying picture will give you an idea of its size. The track reaches 
an altitude of 7400 feet above sea level and winds in and out, among and 
around the hills, going up and up by loops and “Y’s” through most 
beautiful jungles of tall trees, clinging vines, huge bamboos, and dense 
undergrowth. Not all of our travelling is as enjoyable as this. Outstation 
people on the plains travel horseback, bicycle, tonga, or walk during the 
rains. When the roads are passable we go by motor although no one 
would dignify our jungle trails by calling them roads. In this country of 
slow moving there is no timesaver like the motor when roads are passable. 
Not the smallest item of our home life is moving and getting settled at our 
new locations. Our moving vans are just simple two-wheeled ox or buffalo 
carts which are never guaranteed to remain right side up with any kind of 
a load. 





Landour in the Hills 


Gish Meare SUBD 
EXPERIENCES 


Mission work is carried on in a methodical and systematic manner but 
not everything in a missionary’s life happens according to plan. ‘This 
chapter is included to show the many interesting sidelights of a missionary’s 
life which are not as a rule mentioned. There are many such and in a 
great many cases they are anything but pleasant at the time they happen, 
but they may be recalled with not unpleasant memories long years 


afterwards. 


(Contributed by Sarah Lapp) 
Our First Tour 


About twenty-two years ago when my husband and I were novices, in 
India we made a trip to a village about twenty-five miles northwest of 
Dhamtari to visit the mother and sister of one of the Orphanage girls, 
taking one of the girls along. We started out in the morning in an ox 
tonga, taking some provisions along. At noon we stopped for lunch and 
to feed the oxen, and after a few hours’ rest we started out again for the 
village of Karibadar, where we intended to stop for the night. We arrived 
there after dusk, strangers to the people, and could not speak their language 
very well. In order to find a place to stay for the night we sent our ox 
driver to make investigations, but he came back without finding a place. 
Before long, however, a man came and told us we could sleep in his cattle 
stable if we wished. We were thankful for any kind of place with a roof 
over us so after eating a cold lunch in the cattle shed we went to “bed,” 
1 on a small cot brought by the owner of the cattle stable, and the others 
on the ground, spreading their blankets on straw. We had a lantern which 
we kept burning low. We tried to sleep but I, for one, was awake most of 
the night as the cattle were tied only above five feet from us and were 
restless on account of us. At times we could feel their warm breath come 
over us. We were glad when morning came. After eating breakfast we 
started out for Karra, six miles farther on. On arriving there about ten 
o’clock in the forenoon, we went to the home of the girl’s mother where 
there was a happy meeting indeed. We were shown a small room where 


BUILDING ON ‘THE, ROCK 155 


we spent the night. In the evening we told many people who had come 
together about Jesus and sang songs for them. We left for home the next 
day, arriving that same evening, glad for our new experience. 


The Balky Ox 


A number of years ago my husband and I went to visit some 
neighboring missionaries. It was in the rainy season and the roads were 
very muddy. We went from one of their stations to the other, a distance 
of about twenty-five miles, in an ox tonga. We reached our destination 
without any trouble but when we were returning our troubles began. For 
a few miles our oxen travelled well but suddenly without any notice one ox 
became balky and lay down. The driver prodded him with his oxgoad and 
got him up again and we were off, but only for a short distance, when he 
dropped down in the road again. This kept up for eight miles, when to our 
great relief, we were met with a team of slow but strong and dependable 
buffaloes sent from the first station, after which we had no further trouble 
for the buffaloes pulled us right through water and mud and we arrived 
safely at our destination by evening. 


When the Tonga Broke 


About ten years ago when living at Balodgahan two Bible women and 
I went on a tonga to a village about five miles away to do visitation 
work. On the way we were driving along slowly, when, without any 
warning, the tonga tongue broke off right at the driver’s seat, and as 
tongas have only two wheels we all fell forward in a heap on the ground. 
We were all stunned for a few moments, then slowly got up. The driver 
had his ankle sprained and I fell against a piece of iron, sustaining a cut 
over my eye which was bleeding. The two Bible women escaped with a 
few scratches. Luckily the oxen walked a little ahead with the yoke and 
the broken tongue and were out of our way. We all started for home on 
foot, the driver limping along slowly, bringing the oxen and leaving the 
broken tonga until he could bring it home later. I had to have a few 
stitches put into my cut and have my forehead bandaged for several days. 
We were all thankful that it was no worse. Matt. 25:13. 


Faith of a Non-Christian 


Some years ago Bro. M. C. Lapp (now gone to his reward) made a 
short tour to some villages near Chikli outstation and came to a village 
Khariya in Kanker state. He was called to see a woman in that village 
who was laid up with rheumatism and was nearly helpless. He had no 


156 


medicine with him 
for rheumatism but 
Said?) al scan) Bplay 
[or ByOuwe 90d. all; 
swers prayer.” They 
Sdidsa Ayes eC Osptay.« 
SO.) hes prayed aston 
Tel wet ccowel ya meal 
[ele trie weve ihdrote. 
Some weeks later a 
man came from that 
village for some 
Medicine yal O 1 seh Its 
family and was 
asked how the wom- 
an with the rheu- 
matism is getting a- 
long. The man said, 
“Oh, she is well a- 
gain and goes to 
the tank for water 
and does her own 
housework.” When 
asked since when 
she is well again the 
man said, “She got 
DEL Cimee riod tumeaitcr 
you were there and 
prayed. All the vil- 
lagers know about 


tive 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 





i 


Canal Four Miles from Dhamtar 


igation 


Head Works of the Mahanadi Irr 


wm 
| 


BUILDING ON THE ‘ROCK 1 


(Contributed by Anna Stalter) 
Shifting Responsibility in the Girls’ Orphanage 


Twenty jackets had been cut and were given to the matron to cut 
linings and neckbands. Wishing to get through with her job in a hurry 
she gave a girl the neckbands to cut. They were to be taken off material 
left from the jackets a piece about six or eight yards in length. The girls 
eut all the neckbands off along one side of the length of the piece, Helpers 
do not always help. 


Disturbed 


One evening in the hot season Sister Schertz and I sat and read until 
late. 1 finally went to bed. We were sleeping in the yard in front of the 
bungalow. J] was in bed only a short time when something banged against 
the wire fence about eighty feet in front of the bungalow, at the same time 
giving a deep growl. I called to the night watchman and asked what it 
was. He said, “Bagh hai’ (It is a leopard). The animal went on his way 
and we slept peacefully all night. 


Getting Experience 


In the hot season when Sister Schertz and I had been in India a little 
more than a year it was decided that we should accompany two of the girls 
from the Orphanage to visit the villages that were once their homes. The 
village to which we first went was about sixteen miles from Dhamtari. In 
order to get there and back the same day it was necessary for us to start 
very early, as we were to''go in an ox tonga. The evening before we 
prepared something for our lunch. Fried chicken as we have it at home 
had not been tasted for a whole year. We prepared a chicken and fried 
it nice and brown. That night a dog got the meat safe open and had a 
feast on part of our precious chicken. 

We started early in the morning and all went well until we were 
perhaps a mile from the village. The last few miles led across rice fields 
with their banks of earth around them. Some of the banks seemed high 
for the tonga to cross and we wanted the driver to let us get out and walk, 
but he insisted on our remaining in the tonga, and as we crossed one of 
the high banks one wheel went down with a crash, breaking every spoke 
in the wheel. There was nothing left but to walk the rest of the way to 
the village. It was very hot by this time and the loo (hot burning wind) 
was blowing in real hot season fashion, turning our weak American 
umbrella wrong side out and rendering it unfit for further use. 


158 BUILDING ‘ON?’ THE ROCK 


The people were astonished to see us come and were somewhat shy 
of us as we were the first white people who had visited their village, but 
they were kind to us and gave us a place in which to rest, and prepared 
food for us. The man in whose house we were was an uncle to one of the 
girls and he was glad to see her after her absence of about five years. All 
the water we could get was from the village tank, which was muddy all 
the time. 

We remained in the house the hottest part of the day. Towards 
evening we walked with the other girl to her village which was about a 
mile and a half farther on, and returned again for the night. About ten 
o’clock that night, after much discussion between our tonga driver and the 
men of the village, of which we understood little, we started home in a 
“chakra” (a small springless’ox cart for two people) and a driver from the 
village. Two of us walked and two rode alternately. We stopped a while 
in front of a village sometime in the middle of the night when the new 
driver and our own driver had a smoke. They also went away to the 
village for some time. We sat on a log and one of our party fell asleep: 
and nearly fell off the log. Day finally came and soon the heat of the sun 
was felt. The “chakra” had no top so Sister Schertz and I went on home 
and left the girls to walk the remaining six or seven miles to Dhamtari. 
We arrived about ten in the forenoon hot, dusty, sleepy, and tired. The 
only refreshments we had since morning were a drink from a village tank. 


A Poisonous Snake 


In this country there are many snakes, though one might live here for 
years without seeing any. It is a safe thing always to look about one’s bed 
before retiring to see that all is well. One evening in the rainy season I 
picked up the lantern, as usual, to go out to the veranda, where my bed 
was, to see 1f there was anything unusual. As I pushed open the screen 
door to go out something fell and struck me on the head, then fell on the 
floor. Examining it I found it was a snake and killed it at once. It was a 
very poisonous snake about three feet long. 


The Noisy Jackals 


It was in the early months of 1905 when I was very new in the 
country. One evening Sister Schertz and I went for a walk towards the 
jungle. While leisurely walking along quite a distance from the bungalow 
we suddenly heard something howling ferociously, and thought, wilatever 
it was, it was about to get us, so we took to our heels and ran all the way 
back to the bungalow. We thought the animals must be wolves but since 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 159 


then we heard them many, many times and we know now that they were 
jackals, perfectly harmless animals. 


Another Snake Story 


During a rainy season when living alone in Balodgahan I awoke in 
the middle of the night and for some cause or other it seemed as though 
there were something wrong about the bungalow. I got up, picked up 
the lantern and a heavy stick, and started on a tour about the house to 
see if I could find anything wrong. When I got to one of the doors that 
was open I saw a good sized snake which had crawled up on the outside 
of the screen door and when it saw me and the lantern it threw its head 
all about over the door, as though looking for a place to get through. 
Finding a hole in the screen big enough to crawl through, it started straight 
in towards me and I at once struck it with the stick, which caused it to 
fall to the floor where I killed it. It proved to be a viper and they are very 
poisonous. | went to bed and slept soundly until morning. God does help 
us to protect ourselves if we trust Him. 


(Contributed by P. A. Friesen) 
Hungry for the Gospel 


We were on an evangelistic tour. One morning three of the 
evangelists and myself decided to go to the village of Bagdai. We had 
never been to this village before. Each of us took an unusual number of 
colportage books with us that morning. When the people saw us coming 
nearly every one in the village came out to meet us. They offered us beds 
to sit on and expressed themselves as grateful and happy that we had come 
to see them. We sat down and started a village meeting at once. We 
sang and preached to them for two hours when they began to ask for 
books. In a few minutes’ time we sold every book we had with us, most 
of which were Gospel portions and song books. When we were ready to 
leave one man came to me and said, “I have read several of the Gospel 
portions already. I even know parts of it by heart. I now want the whole 
Bible.” I told him I did not have any for sale with me but could send him 
one the next day. He paid me in advance for it and I sent it out to him 
the next dav. A number of people of that village are now reading the 
Bible and are always glad when we come to read it with them. Another 
man in another village took me to his house and said, with tears in his 
eyes, “If you would come often to my house and read the Bible with me 
1 would socn understand the will of God better.” 


160 BUILDING WO Nib ROGK. 


Christian Prayer and the Witch Doctor 


Cholera was raging in the neighboring villages. One village called 
their baiga (witch doctor) to come and sacrifice for them so the disease 
would go away. The witch doctor came and began his work, but while he 
was making sacrifice he took the disease himself and in a few hours was 
dead. Now the poor village people did not know what to do. One man 
suggested that they call the sahib (missionary) to have prayer with them. 
The suggestion took well with the rest of the people and they called us 
to come to their village as quickly as we could. I took several workers 
with me and we had a most wonderful prayer meeting in that village. We 
requested that everybody that was well and could come out to the meeting 
should be present and that they too should pray to the living God for help 
and deliverance. The Lord heard our prayers and the cholera stopped in 
that village that very same day. Jas. 5:16. 


(Contributed by Dr. Florence C. Friesen) 
The Native Doctor 


This man is a baid (native doctor), who lives just across the road 
from the hospital. He claimed wonderful things and tried to draw our 
patients away from us. One day I visited him and in a friendly way 
inquired about his medicines. I was surprised to find him making medicine 
from the raw material such as mercury, zinc, lead, etc., which he bought 
in the bazaar. He also claimed he knew a cure for leprosy but being a 
poor man could not afford to burn the mineral in intense heat as many 
times as required. 


Rain and Bad Roads 


In company with a fellow missionary, his wife and two small children 
and two Indian women we left Jagdalpur one evening for Dhamtari, a 
hundred and thirty miles away.- It was just after the monsoons had 
broken. We safely crossed the first swollen stream in a boat and were 
speeding along towards the first dak bungalow (rest house). Sixteen miles 
farther on we reached the second swollen stream. We all crossed safely 
in boats but these boats were not large enough for the motor car which 
stuck in the stream in an attempt to cross. Nothing could be done that 
night so we opened our bedding and went to sleep under the stars but we 
were soon covered with a heavy cloud and then it began to rain. We fled 
to a little hut across the road built for the mail carriers and crowded 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 161 


ourselves into it for the night. Some of us were soaked and got dry the 
next morning when the sun came out. By noon we had our clothes dry, 
had the water out of the engine, a lunch and were ready to continue our 
journey. The next night we rested in the bungalow we intended to reach 
the night before. That day we encountered many swollen streams and bad 
roads but reached Kanker, the capital of a native state, and were allowed 
to rest in the king’s guest bungalow that night. We had forty miles 
farther to Dhamtari and arrived there the evening of the third day. 
Sometimes we waded the streams, sometimes crossed in boats. Sometimes 
men pushed the motor car through and sometimes oxen or buffaloes pulled 
it through. We crossed no bridges worth mentioning. Fight temporary 
bridges were washed away. 


Eager for the Word 


An educated Punjabi came to us sick and thought he was about to die. 
We treated him and he returned to his work. Later his wife came to us 
ill and she returned to her home. Again the husband came suffering from 
fever and we treated him. Before he left he asked for an English Bible. 
I had none for sale but gave him one of my own treasured Bibles. He 
went down the road with this Bible under his arm. The next time I saw 
him he said he spent many more hours reading the Bible than he did in his 
own Hindu worship. 


(Contributed by Lydia L. Lehman) 
Short of Help 


It was during the days of the great war when a number of missionaries 
were home on furlough and could not return to India promptly after their 
furloughs were over. At that time eleven missionaries were trying to hold 
down the work of twenty, the number who had been on the field. During 
this period of shortage of help, famine, cholera, bubonic plague, and 
influenza made their visits to Dhamtari. It is needless to say that after 
yoing through all this there were tired missionaries in India. To add to 
the heavy work the missionaries were kept in anxiety because of the low 
exchange and the high prices for foodstuffs. And we never could tell 
when the ckecks would arrive from home as mail was very uncertain. 


Mosquitoes and Malaria 


Two dear old friends who live fifty-two miles south of here in the 
jungle spent several weeks with us during the rains. It was the time of the 


162 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


influenza. After the rains closed and the streams could be crossed we took 
them to their home in the Ford. Due to road repairs we could not reach 
our desired destination before dark and were obliged to spend the night on 
the road in the heart of the tiger jungle where the mosquitoes are large and 
do not often have a chance to feast on foreigners. A mosquito net was put 
over the motor car. A fire was built beside the road and kept up all night 
to keep the wild animals away. Three sat guard to watch and listen. A 
man eating tiger was heard near by but the bright fire kept him away. The 
rest of the party, too tired and worn out, could not remain awake to keep 
off the ravenous mosquitoes that slipped in in spite of the net. The result 
was that two weeks later the entire party had malaria fever. 


(Contributed by Dr. G. D. Troyer) 
The Runaway Patient 


One morning four men came to our bungalow begging us to come to 
see a sick man in a village about eleven miles distant. We were very busy 
but consented to come as soon as possible which was in the afternoon. The 
road was good for eight miles but the last three miles led through rough 
country roads and through rice fields. We arrived in the village about four 
o’clock. It was a village of about five hundred people, one-third of whom 
turned out to stare at us as many of them had never seen a motor car. 
We found the patient in a small, dark room with only a small door and no 
windows. ‘The patient was groaning in pain and all the old men of the 
village were sitting around him smoking. As we entered the house the men 
left off smoking but the filth still remained in the room. I soon diagnosed 
the case as pus appendicitis and informed the patient that the only thing 
we could do was to operate, and that even then his chance of recovery was 
very poor. He had tried all the native doctors from far and near and had 
called us as a last resort. We explained to him that it was necessary 
for him to come to our dispensary. This he was ready to do and as he had 
no way of getting there he begged to go along with us on the motor car. 
We consented and arrived home just before dark. The patient was placed 
on a bed to rest while we hurriedly sterilized the instruments in preparation 
for the operation. By the time we were ready it was totally dark and so 
I had to operate by lantern light. I removed nearly a pint of pus and then 
inserted a rubber tube for a drain. The next morning the patient was much 
improved having very little pain and appearing much brighter. He was 
far better than I had expected and he continued to improve until the fourth 





Siphon Spillway of the Murumsili Reservoir 


day when he _ be- 
came very impatient, 
probably due to su- 
perstition, and want- 
Cd-sto,.904 to mie. 
That night I was 
twice called to his 
bedside. The next 
morning before six 
o'clock the father 
came running to the 
bungalow greatly 
excited saying his 
son was running a- 
way! I looked and 
saw the patient go- 
ing down the road 
at a rapid pace with 
no clothing on ex- 
cepting the bandage 
around his wound, 
the rubber drain still 
remaining intact. All 
I could do was to 
Lot meiieecou ihe 
next morning the 
father came back 
and begged me _ to 
come and remove 
the! tube. I ‘told 
him that since the 
son was able to run 
away he was able 
to walk back or at 
least come back on 
at Ox-Canteeand ett 
he came I would re- 
move the tube. The 
father returned to 
his home but came 


164 BUILDING,YON THE ROCK 


back two days later saying that he was unable to persuade his son to re- 
turn to the dispensary. The patient said that he was sure he would die if 
he returned. We finally decided that we might be able to do some good 
if we returned to the village, so went that afternoon. When we arrived 
we had again a large gathering around the motor car. After caring for 
the patient we sang several songs and Sister Brunk gave a short talk. A 
few days later I made another call to the village and took two evangelists 
along. They preached and sold thirteen books to the people while I took 
care of the patient. This man made a complete recovery and is stronger 
than he had been for many months before. Besides we have had many 
other patients from that village since. 


(Contributed by Mary Good) 
Stopping for Repairs 


Four of us were on our way to Kashmir, a valley in the Himalayas, to 
escape’ for several weeks the severe heat of the plains. We were making 
the two hundred miles motor journey to Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, 
and were about half way between two traveller’s inns where we could spend 
the night. Motors are not permitted on the roads after sunset and night 
was approaching when the driver stopped the car in front of a very uninviting 
police station. He calmly announced to us that a bolt had been lost from 
the car and that we could go no farther that night. There were two 
choices. We could spend the night in the open shed which was right 
by the road or on the roof of the same building. We chose the latter. It 
was easily accessible from the ground at the rear as the building was set 
in the side of the mountain. We prepared our evening meal by the light 
of the moon and slept under the stars with the assurance of His protection 
even though we had read in the paper the day before that a band of 
frontier’s men had only a few nights before made a raid in a town not far 
from where we were spending the night. 


(Contributed by Bertha Z. Detweiler) 
How We Were Received 


The reception at Dhamtari was a surprise to us. The two hundred 
seventy-five orphan boys were lined up on either side of the driveway and 
gave us their salaams as we passed. Farther on the two hundredstwenty- 
five orphan girls were waiting and sang, “Oh Happy Day,” as we 
approached. 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 165 


When Reuben Came 


Lhe coming of Reuben’s father and little sister with the helpless crying 
little babe of six days, Reuben himself, will ever be remembered. The 
mother had died when Reuben was three days old and they had been giving 
a little milk using a leaf for a spoon. It was December and the air was 
somewhat chilly. Later when we took him into our home we cared for 
him and loved him as we now do our own children. Being unused to the 
care of babies the responsibility was a very serious one. 


The Great Disappointment 


To get a glimpse of the need, to be unable to become adjusted to a 
foreign climate, to have to leave the country quickly by order of the 
physicians cannot be understood except by those who have experienced 


Neg UaWepant wet acs 


(Contributed by Geo. J. Lapp) 
Interrupted 


One Sunday morning while I was shaving the people of Balodgahan 
came running to the bungalow and asked me to come quickly and shoot a 
panther that was lurking among the rocks not far away. I dropped the 
razor, washed the lather from my face, took the rifle and went out as 
quickly as possible. After an hour of maneuvering we shot the panther 
which measured nine feet in length from tip to tip. I then dressed for 
church, hurriedly ate choti hazri (light breakfast), and went to preach the 
morning sermon. While preaching I noticed the people were smiling and 
aiterwards when I asked my wife what was wrong she laughed and said, 
“Why you went to church with your face only half shaved.” 


An Enemy Won 


“A malguzar from a near by village wrote a letter to one of our patients 
that he was not to take medicine from the sahib’s (missionary’s) hands as 
he would charge for the medicine and it would not do him any good. He 
also included in the letter a number of libelous charges against the 
foreigners who come into this country. The patient was not able to read 
but was getting relief from the medicine so one day he handed me the 
letter he had received. I read it and told him what was in it and asked 
him for the privilege of keeping it. I laid it away in a drawer not knowing 
whether it would ever be of use or not. Over a year afterward the 


166 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


malguzar came for a visit and to request me to buy his village. After 
conversing with him for a short time I took the letter out of the drawer 
and asked him if he had written it. He at once recognized the letter and 
admitted that he had. We talked it over for a little while and I told him 
what the legal penalty for such slander is in this country. He asked 
forgiveness for it and I told him we would not bring suit and I tore up the 
letter in front of him. A couple of weeks later he again came to me and 
we had a nice visit together. He asked my wife to teach his fifteen-year- 
old daughter to sew and knit and it appears from the conversation that he 
is a friend now. He said in the conversation, “I want to thank you for 
what you have done for me and I have learned a great lesson which I could 
not have learned otherwise.” 


Misunderstood 


When we were first connected with the work of the Boys’ Orphanage 
the boys in charge of the sewing gang had al! the names of the boys 
written on the respective articles of clothing which were to be given out. 
In sorting them we saw a name on a shirt and asked whose it was. The 
sewing mate said it was “upraha,” so we told him to call Upraha and they 
chattered a great deal in protest, much to our disgust, until we finally 
learned that it was not a boy’s name but that it meant “extra’”—it was an 
extra shirt. 


The Belated Panther 


I shot a panther in Ghatula village which had attacked four men and 
wounded them before I had killed him. He had killed a goat the night 
before near a farmer’s house and when he had eaten his fill he lay down 
under some garden vegetables and went to sleep. The villagers found him 
the next morning and reported. In the skirmish he ran under the tree in 
which I was sitting and looked up at me. He ran up another tree not far 
away. | began to wonder what I would have done had he run up the tree 
on which I was sitting. 


The Boaster 


One morning an old man was brought to me with a broken collar bone. 
The viliage people at Ghatula had turned out for a drive over the near-by 
hill to round up a deer which was in hiding. The old man had made his 
boast that he had killed so many animals that he had become invulnerable. 
But when the deer came and ran alongside the hill this old man was in 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 167 


the way. The deer gave him a bump, knocked him down over the rocks 
and broke his collar bone. After we set it he soon recovered. 


They Trust Us 


An intelligent young man came to our dispensary for treatment. He 
needed an operation. When I advised him to go to the Government 
Assistant Surgeon he refused and said, “I do not know but that there might 
be some enemy somewhere who might heavily bribe the doctor and cause 
my death. I trust the missionaries therefore I want the work done here.” 


The Frightened Gonds 


While out on tour we came to a jungle which had no people in it yet 
the fires were burning on the hearths. We asked another villager what 
was wrong. He said, “These people are jungle Gonds and have never seen 
a white man, therefore they became frightened and ran away.” He and 
one of our workers went into the woods to hunt them and when they found 
a few they told them we were missionaries and would not harm them. So 
they slowly came back and we had a meeting with them. It was interesting 
to note their friendly attitude after they were convinced that we had come 
for their good. 


The Sick Calf 


I was called to a village to treat what I understood to be a child. The 
man was very much concerned but when I arrived at his hut I found to my 
disgust that it was a calf. The wife was also sick but he had not called 
me to help her! 


(Contributed by Fannie H. Lapp) 
The Inquisitive Cobra 


While Sister Schertz and I were living at Sankra I was sitting one 
evening at my table reading when I heard something stirring underneath 
the table. I looked but could see nothing. Some time later the clock on 
the table struck eight and I heard the thing stir again. I thought it was 
a mole but looked again and saw a black line standing up in the corner. 
I then set the lamp on the floor to enable me to see better but the line was 
gone. Getting a cane I tapped the floor matting and a snake stuck out his 
head. I called for some Christian men who came with sticks and killed it. 
It was a cobra (a very poisonous snake) measuring about four feet in 
length. It evidently was sleeping under the matting and the striking of the 
clock woke it up. 


‘p[IOM 9} UT Pury S}I JO }sed1e] puodss ‘Aemjids uoydis e yyZM paddimba st 3y ‘sesodind uorjesi411t Jo} pasn st pue 
Sajitu o1enbs suru jo eaie Ue SIZAOD NOAIISeY SIV, ‘We}WeYyqd Wolf salul u9a}xIS ‘MOAIASeY 28e1I0}G IjISuUIMAN 








- a ott a seb aan iain tes eee an ees SS aa ces ice ae Neh ali A aC aa a Scotties ne cee ec a Sat an aR aaah lianas anes aaaner To enacs pasha vt ie enantio ts ponies a EI anal rv anc aan : 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 169 


A Day with the Bible Women 


The malguzar (landlord) of a village about four miles from Ghatula 
had been coming to the bungalow quite often to visit the sahib 
(missionary) and invited us to visit his home. One morning the Bible 
women and I started out to his village in the tonga. We were hoping the 
people in the home would give us a meal but we had not informed them 
of our coming so I took a small lunch along and told the women to take 
some bread also. One of them thought it was not necessary and so did 
not provide herself with food. We got to the village but the malguzar was 
not at home. We had good meetings with the women in the different 
houses and toward noon we began to get hungry. We went back to the 
malguzar’s house but there were no prospects of a meal as the women 
were very ignorant. So those of us who had brought our lunch ate it and 
shared it with the one who had none. About that time the malguzar came 
and gave orders, to have a chicken killed and a meal cooked. As it was 
very late we told them not to cook for us. We started home and when 
about half way home the tonga wheel broke and we had to walk the rest 
of the way through the sand and hot sun. However, we were glad to have 
gone and given the people the bread of life. 


(Contributed by R. R. Smucker) 
Accepting the Invitation 


In order to become better acquainted with the people and to help in 
gaining their confidence my wife and I planned to invite the people of 
certain villages to come to the bungalow and chat with us and to hear 
music. The first Sunday three hundred fifty people came to the bungalow 
in response to the invitation. Other villages were invited on succeeding 
Sundays. The largest number we had on a Sunday afternoon was five 
hundred. It was an interesting experience to entertain five hundred guests 
on a Sunday afternoon. 


The Perplexities of a Non-medical Missionary 


A child was brought to the bungalow with a very bad knee. I urged 
the father to take the child to Dhamtari to the doctor but he refused and 
I was left to do the best I could for the child. Through advice from the 
doctor I applied remedies which were very helpful and brought much relief. 
Through this effort we have won many warm friends in that village which 
had up until then been showing a certain hostility towards our work. 


170 BUILDING ON .THE. ROCK 


The Unlucky Tiger 


A tiger had been prowling around Balodgahan and killing the farmers’ 
cattle. Hearing of another ox the tiger had killed I accompanied Bro. Lapp 
to the jungle where we sat in trees near where the ox had been killed 
knowing that the tiger would come again the next evening to have another 
meal. We were not mistaken for shortly after we got safely into our 
perches in the trees out walked “stripes” and when | first saw him he 
was not over forty feet away. Taking careful aim I fired killing him 
almost instantly. I consider the skin a great prize. 


(Contributed by J. N. Kaufman) 


The Unfortunate Outcaste 


One evening many years ago I was called to the home or rather hut of 
a non-Christian family who were living near the Mission premises at 
Rudri. They were in great need of help. When I arrived at the house I 
found the mother lying dead on the earthen floor of the tiny hut, and her 
little son, born the day before, sniffing at her breast in quest of nourishment. 
The father was out trying to get people to help bury his wife but as they 
were outcastes no caste Hindu would pollute himself by helping. With 
my help young Hindus were secured to dig the grave and then as no one 
would touch the corpse the husband proceeded to carry his dead wife on 
his shoulders to the grave.. I could. not permit this’ when) ljheards whae 
was going on and ordered a Mission cart to convey the body to the grave. 
In the pale moonlight of the evening Christian men lowered the body into 
the grave and covered it with clods of earth while a half dozen Hindus 
stood a safe distance away lest they become defiled! 


Travelling Difficulties 


The roads in India other than Government roads are passable during 
the dry portion of the year but during the monsoons they become very bad. 
Numerous streams have to be crossed and during heavy rains they become 
deep and swift. 

On one occasion Bro. M. C. Lapp and I left Dhamtari on horseback 
for Sihawa and vicinity, about forty miles from Dhamtari, to see about the 
possibilities of locating a mission station in that region. It was in the 
middle of the rainy season. Soon after we started it began to rain and 
rained most of the time during our week’s absence. On our return trip we 
encountered some difficulties on account of the high water which made 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 171 


travelling more or less dangerous. One stream was so deep and swift that 
it was impossible to cross it and we were obliged to turn back some miles 
and spend the night in a lonely, leaky hut in the depths of the jungle 
though at the stream we were in sight of a good house where we could 
have spent the night in comparative comfort. We had very little to eat for 
we were not properly prepared for this emergency. The next morning the 
stream was still very swift and the water reached half way up the sides 
of our horses but we got safely across and came on. The Mahanadi River, 
two miles from Dhamtari, was so swollen that it was impossible to ford it 
so we crossed it on a boat and made our horses swim the river after 
removing their saddles. 


On another occasion while I was taking my family for the first time 
to Mahodi, the new evangelistic station, one stream was unsafe for us to 
cross on the ox tonga so we sent the tonga across empty and prepared 
ourselves to wade across. We made quite a spectacle as we made our way 
across the water which was hip deep, I going ahead carrying our six 
months’ old baby, followed by Elsie and Paul holding on to each other, 
Dalancing themselves with sticks. None of us could swim. 


A Low Caste Man’s Advantage 


Soon after I came to India Bro. M. C. Lapp and I went to a distant 
village in the jungle to look for teak timber for our carpenter shop. We 
had with us two vehicles and two ox drivers. One of the drivers was a 
high caste man and the other was a low caste man. Now a high caste man 
is not permitted by his caste or his training to eat from the hands of a low 
caste man nor can he eat food cooked by a man of low caste. It thus came 
about that on this trip it fell to the lot of the high caste man to cook the 
food for both and the man of low caste sat contentedly near by while the 
other cooked the food and eagerly ate of it when it was set before him. 


Saving the Buttons 


It happened before I was married. What buttons came off my clothes 
I had to sew on myself, which process I did not overmuch enjo0yes One 
Monday morning I cautioned the washerman to be careful when he beats 
the clothes over the rough stones in the process of washing so as’ not to 
knock otf so many buttons. That evening he came to me all smiling with a 
big string of buttons in his hands. On inquiring the meaning of it he 
remarked, “Well, Sahib, you told me to be careful not to knock off the 
buttons but how can I help it if the buttons come off? I have therefore 


172 BUILDINGS GON. , THE (ROCK 


cut off all the buttons from your clothes and saved them all. Here they 
are!” They were all there and I knew just how many buttons had to be 
sewed on that week. 


The Hindu Bible Teacher 


Years ago I conducted a daily Bible class in the English school. One 
day I could not be present and the next day when I got to the schoolroom 
I noticed material from the Bible lessons written on the board. I was told 
then that one of the masters, a Hindu, fully occupied the Bible period and 
reviewed the Bible lessons the day I was absent. 


A Snake Thrill 


There are many poisonous snakes in India. Among the most deadly 
are the karait, cobra, asorhia, and others. Thousands of people die of snake 
bite in India annually. My wife and I had just moved to Dhamtari from 
Rudri and being very tired we retired early. It was in the rainy season. 
We could not sleep and the hours dragged their weary lengths until 
midnight when I noticed a peculiar object lying across the threshold of the 
bathroom door. Inspecting it closely I discovered that it was a big snake 
which was making its way towards my bed and had come within a few 
feet of it. In an instant I was on the floor on the opposite side of the bed 
and was directly beating away over the back of the snake with a rattan 
cane I picked up from the corner of the room. It proved to be an asorhia, 
said to be a very deadly snake. It measured six feet in length. We then 
went to bed and slept till morning. Did God keep us awake to be ready 
for the snake when it came? Two weeks later I nearly stepped on its mate 
on the road on the way home from prayer meeting. 


(Contributed by A. C. Brunk) 


Interviewing the King 


Brother M. C. Lapp and Brother Smucker and I went to Lohara to 
see the king about getting land on which to build a mission station in the 
southern part of his kingdom. When we arrived the king was not at home, 
but he arrived.in ayshort time. “Heeat*once calledius: toimectehimae plese: 
at a table on his veranda and gave us steamer chairs. Brother Lapp by 
previous arrangement between themselves began to explain the object of 
our visit. He explained to the king that if he would admit us into his 
state we would in no way interfere with the politics of the state, and 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 173 


that our teaching would make his subjects better citizens, that we would 
erect mission buildings that would require the expenditure of considerable 
money in his state and that we would purchase the necessary timber from 
him (for he had a lot of timber to sell). He was told that we were ready 
to pay for the land. If he demanded we would pay $335.00 for ten acres 
of land. He was told that our business was to spread the religion of God. 
We also told him about all the work that our Mission was doing. The 
explanation of all these things took about twenty minutes and during this 
time all the man would say was an occasional “yes” or “no” to an 
unimportant question. Brother Lapp talked on repeating something he 
hoped might interest the king but he could not get a sign of real interest 
nor could he get a reply in the affirmative or negative to the question of 
whether the king would give us land. Brother Lapp would wait for 
considerable time to give him time to reply. The king would call a servant 
and give some orders regarding other business. Again we tried with 
similar results and at last we asked him whether we might write officially 
to him asking for a building site. He said we might, and we left him with 
a very little hope, but much misgiving. 

We went home, wrote the best letter we could, and received no reply. 
We waited and wrote again and about three years have passed and we are 
still waiting for a reply. But this king is now dead and so the matter may 
now be taken up with his successor. I believe God will open this closed 
door. 





Mango Grove 


Coal weak iic aly, 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 


Missionaries are the servants of the whole Church. Although they are 
not all known in all the congregations of the Church yet the whole Church 
remembers them continually in prayer. For this reason a place has been 
provided in this little book for brief sketches of the lives of the missionaries 
who have in their humble way been connected with the work of the 
American Mennonite Mission. We hope that the personal touch of the 
missionaries and the home Church may thus be strengthened. It will also 
be interesting as well as instructive to know how many have been sent forth 
to the Lord’s work in India, who they are, from what sections of the 
country they came, and how many were obliged for various reasons to give 
up the work in India. As far as consistent the names of the missionaries 
will appear in the order they arrived on the field. 


I. JACOB ANDREWS RESSLER was born in Lancaster County, 
Pa., July 28, 1867. He was married to Lizzie Bachman in 1891 who died 
in 1898 leaving a daughter, Emma, who is now Mrs. Geo. W. Townsend, 





of Masontown, Pa. He moved to Scottdale and was ordained to the 
ministry in 1895 and for some time served as one of the pastors of the 
Scottdale Mennonite Church. Prior to his sailing in 1899 he was ordained 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 175 


to the office of Bishop. On March 4, 1899 he arrived in India and after 
much travel and investigation he located in Dhamtari with his colleagues, 
Dr. and Mrs. Page, thus becoming one of the founders of the American 
Mennonite Mission. He returned to America in 1903 and was married to 
Sister Lina Zook in June and returned again to India in December of the 
same year. In 1908 he returned to America on account of Sister Ressler’s 
failing health and three years after, with their daughter Ruth who was 
born in India, settled at Scottdale where he has since been engaged .in 
editorial work in connection with the literature of the Church. Their 
youngest daughter, Rhoda, was born in America. 

Through the generosity of the Church at home especially of Lancaster 
County, Bro. Ressler’s old home, he found it possible to accept the urgent 
invitation of the American Mennonite Mission to come to India and visit 
and inspect the work and help in special evangelistic efforts for the 
salvation of the lost. He arrived in India early in December, 1924, for a 
three months’ stay. 


tee LINAS ZOOK. RESSLER savas: born | in WaynerGounty,. Ohio 
September 26, 1869. She was for five years a city missionary in Chicago 
(1895—1900) and served as preceptress of Elkhart Institute (1900—1903) 
when she was married to Bro. J. A. Ressler and went with him to India 
arriving in India in 1903. On account of failing health she returned with 
her family to America in 1908. Bro. and Sister Ressler’s parents are both 
dead. 


3.2 DR. WIELIAM Bi) PAGE was'tborn in Elkhart County, Indiana: 
He was a practicing physician at Middlebury, Indiana, at the time when the 
call came to him to go to India as a medical missionary. 


tien! Gi DAU PAGE, was’ born-in Hancock County, Ohio. 

Dr. and Mrs. Page were appointed to go to India at the same time Bro. 
Ressler received his appointment and the three sailed together, reaching 
India in 1899. Due to overwork and other causes during the time of the 
famine, Dr. Page’s health broke down and he and his wife were obliged 
to return to America. Dr. Page has continued his practice in Goshen, 
Indiana. Dr. Page’s father is still living. 


3 


5. JACOB BURKHARD was born in Stephenson County, Illinois, 
October 1], 1873. When he was four years old his parents moved to 
Nebraska where he grew to manhood. In spite of poor school facilities in 
those early days in the west he managed to secure a teacher’s certificate 


176 BUILDING ON TRH E “ROCK 


and taught school for two years. His earlier missionary work was done in 
a community eighteen miles from his home at a place called Antioch where 
he conducted a Sunday school for three years, travelling the distance every 
Sunday rain or shine. 

Preparing himself for further service in the Lord’s work, while in 
school at the Elkhart Institute, Elkhart, Indiana, he accepted a call to go 
to India as a missionary and finding a suitable 
companion in Sister Mary Yoder to whom he 
was married in June, 1900, they two sailed for 
India, arriving there in October of the same 
year. In 1901 he was ordained to the ministry 
by Bishop J. A. Ressler before he could under- 
stand the language used in the service. Al- 
though living the life of a busy missionary, he 
found ample time to pray and he is still remem- 
bered by’ the Indian people as a man of prayer. 
Continuous years of strenuous labors reduced 
his vitality and when a spinal carbuncle de- 
veloped he was unable to throw off the effects 
and in spite of all that medical help could do 
he grew weaker and blood poison set in. His spirit took its flight, translat- 
ing him to higher service, September 29, 1906. Bro. Burkhard’s parents 
are no longer living. 


6. MARY YODER BURKHARD was born in Champaign County, 
Ohidwhepruanyvercmmel Oo, 
While preparing herself at 
the Elkhart Institute for 
service sin the Clmirchashe 





answered the call to go 
to India and sailed with 
Bros, burkhardtomwhom 
she was married in June, 
1900. She remained on 
the field after Bro. Burk- 
hard’s death until Febru- 
ary, 1907, when she sailed 
for the homeland with her 
three children, Esther, 


Samuel, and Anna, all Where Brother Burkhard Lies Buried 





BUILDING ON THE ROCK 177 


born in India. Leaving Esther and Samuel in America she returned 
with Anna to India in 1908 for another term of service and again returned 
to the homeland in 1914. Her mother is still living. 


— 


4, MAHLON CASSIUS LAPP was born in Bucks County, Pa., 
February 4, 1872. When he was six years old his parents moved to 
Nebraska where he grew to manhood. He was converted at the age of 
twenty-one after which he took a great interest in the work of the Church. 
He often accompanied Bro. Burkhard to Antioch to help conduct the 
mission Sunday school there though it was thirty-four miles from his home. 


In 1899 he went to Chicago and became a missionary at the Home 
Mission until 1901, during part of which time he took a short business 
course at Elkhart Institute. 


He was married, June 10, 1901, to Sister Sarah Hahn and in the same 
month was ordained to the ministry and to the 
ottice of bishop, Bishop Schiffler of Roseland, 
Nebraska, officiating. Bro. and Sister Lapp 
were appointed to go to India in June, and 
arrived in India October, 1901. 


Their first furlough was due in 1908, which 
they spent in the homeland and again returned 
to the work in India in 1909, remaining on the 
field for their second term of service until 1917 
when they went to America. They again came 
back to the field for their third term of service 
i eeihe ihirstayear of their work in the 
third term was unusually hard and in the fall 
of 1922 Bro. Lapp was troubled with fever and 
nervousness which was only temporarily relieved. There was no satisfac- 
tory response to treatment and the trouble developed into softening of the 
brain, causing him great pain for months. He was taken to Calcutta to 
get the best medical treatment but nothing would avail and the angel of 
death relieved him of his suffering on the 30th of May, 1923, when he 
passed to his eternal reward. 





8. SARAH HAHN LAPP was born in Clarence Centre, New York, 
October 9, 1869. After graduating as a nurse, she was married June 10, 
1901, to Bro. M. C. Lapp, and together they received their appointment to 
India in the same month. Her terms of service and furloughs are the same 
as those of Bro, Lapp, excepting that after his death in May, 1923, she 


178 BULGDINGHONT DEES KROGK 


remained on the field until March, 1925, when she went on her third 
furlough. Sister Lapp’s father is still living. 


9. IRWIN R. DETWEILER was born in Bucks County, Pa., August, 
1873, but lived the greater part of his youth in [llinois and Nebraska. He 
had completed a Junior College course in preparation for life work when 
he heard and accepted a call to go to India. 


10. BERTHA ZOOK DETWEILER was born in Topeka, Indiana, 
June 22, 1875. She was married to 1: R. Detweiler in? June;\1902 fatter 
completing a two year college course, and with him was accepted for work 
in India, arriving there in September, 1902. Their stay in the service of 
the Mission was short for Sister Detweiler found the climate too exacting 
and so Bro. and Sister Detweiler were obliged to return to America in 
1904, after less than two years of service on the field. Since their return 
to America they have resided in Goshen, Indiana. Both the parents of 
Bro. and Sister Detweiler are dead. 


11, ANNA STALTER was born in Allen County,' Ohio, January 28, 
1874. Accepting the call to mission work, she took up special training in 
preparation for her work in India. In due time she was appointed to go to 
India and arrived on the field in January, 1905. She went on her first 
furlough in 1911, returning in November, 1912. Her second furlough came 
in 1918. She began her third term of service in 1920. Her parents are dead. 


i2, LYDIA ELLEN SCHERTZ. was born: in) Lebanon) Gounty eas 
October 15, 1880, but later moved to Kansas where she resided at the time 
when she received her appointment to go to India as a missionary. After 
a period of preparation at college she sailed for India, arriving on the field 
with Sister Stalter January 6, 1905. She went on her first furlough in the 
spring of 1910, returning in 1911 and after another term of service on the 
field she again returned to America on furlough in the spring of 1918. She 
resides at present at Los Angeles, California. Her parents are dead. 


13. JAMES NORMAN KAUFMAN was born in Somerset’ County, 
Pa., October 28, 1880. He taught school for some years. He was ordained 
to the ministry in 1902 and for three years before leaving for India he was 
pastor of the Rockton congregation, Rockton, Pa. He sailed for India 
in the spring of 1905 arriving there April 4, 1905. On March 10, 1909 he 
was married to Sister Elsie Drange, the marriage taking place in India. 
His father is still living. 


14. ELSIE DRANGE KAUFMAN was born in Chicago, July 2 


om? 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 179 


1886, and after preparing herself for service in the Church she was 
appointed and sent to India as a missionary arriving there in December, 
1908. Her parents are dead. 

Bro. and Sister Kaufman left on their first furlough in March, 1914, 
and while on furlough Bro. Kaufman completed his college work which 
delayed their return to the field until December, 1917. Their three children 
Russell, Paul, and Kathryn were born in India. 


13. GEORGE JAY LAPP was born in Juniata, Nebraska, May 26, 
1879. Prior to his being appointed to India as a missionary he was engaged 
as a teacher and evangelist... On June 26, 1905, he was married to Sister 
Esther R. Ebersole and with her sailed to India, arriving in that country 
December, 1905. Their first furlough was due in the spring of 1912 and 
they spent eighteen months in the homeland during which time he 
completed his college work. Returning in 1912 they began their second 
term of service, laboring together until 1917, when Sister Lapp died May 8. 
Due to ill health, Bro. Lapp left for the homeland the same year. During 
his extended furlough he served the Church as a Bible teacher and evan- 
gelist, and for a year served as President of Goshen College. 

On April 14, 1920 he was married to Sister Fannie Hershey, with 
whom he returned to India in 1921. 

Bro. Lapp’s three children were born in India. Their names are Lois, 
Pauline, who died in November of 1913, and Harriett. 

Bro. Lapp is a brother to Bro. M. C. Lapp and their father is still 
living at the ripe old age of 91. 


16. ESTHER EBERSOLE LAPP was born in Sterling, Ill., June 26, 
1880. At an early age she moved with her parents to Nebraska where she 
grew to young womanhood. In 1901 the father 
with the children who remained at home, returned 
to Illinois and the long-looked-for opportunity 
came to take her nurse’s training in the Passavant 
Memorial Hospital, Chicago. 

From girlhood she felt the call to become a 
foreign missionary and in due time she presented 
herself to the Mission Board for service and the 
way opened for her to go. In June, 1905, she was 
married to Bro. George J. Lapp and in October 
she sailed for India with her husband. 

In India she entered upon the duties which 
fall to the lot of missionaries. Her first term of 





180 BUILDINGZON' DHE ROCK 


service from 1905 to: 1912 was spent 
in orphanage, medical, and visitation 
work. 

Coming back to India with her 
family ,in, 1913 in the secondwtemm 
of\service, she’ was in ‘One sshore 
month called upon to mourn the 
death of her younger daughter, Paul- 
ine, who died. .in December, 1913. 

Her health during her second 
term of service was not very good 
and at times she suffered severe at- 
tacks of malaria. In January, 1917, 
she was taken ill with black water 
fever and as soon as she could be 
moved from the new station (Gha- 
tula) which Bro. .and Sister Lapp 
opened, she was taken to Darjeeling, 
but she never fully recovered from 
the “sickness, and on) May si/lGe 
her spirit took its flight.) oir 
Lapp’s parents are both dead. 

17. FANNIE HERSHEY 13a 

een was born in Manheim, Pa., in De- 
Sister Esther Lapp’s Grave, Darjeeling Cember, 1882. She was engaged in 
city mission work prior to her com- 
ing to India as a missionary. She was appointed for service in India 
in the spring of 1913 with Bro. John Musselman to whom she was engaged 
to be married. The Lord had another plan for her and took away her 
intended husband by death, before they could sail, on the day they were 
to be married. ‘he blow was a severe one but nothing daunted she carried 
out her conviction to go to India even in this deep sorrow and arrived 
in India in November, 1913. She served one full term until 1919 when 
she went home on furlough. On April 14, 1920, she was married to Bro. 
G. J. Lapp. She with her husband returned to India in 1921 for another 
term of service. Her parents are living. 


18. MARTIN CLIFFORD LEHMAN was born in Dalton, Ohio, 
March 16, 1883. He taught school in his home community when he decided 
to prepare himself for further service in the Church completing a two year 





BUILDING ON THE ROCK 181 


college course. In due time he was appointed to go to India as a 
missionary. He was married to Sister Lydia Lichty, August 16, 1906. 


Lely OIA LCE Ye bith ANS was) born in Sterling, 1 Ohio, 
September 28, 1884.  Af- 
Hered ,COULSe | Ol special 
preparation for the Lord’s 
work she was appointed 
to go to India as a mis- 
sionary. She was married 
to-M:. -C. Lehman, August 
16, 1905, and together they 
sailed for India, arriving 
in January, 1906. 


Dip ily, 19) 3 ebro: and 
sister Lehman. leit — on 
their first furlough and 
while in America. Bro. 
Lehman completed his 
college work. They re- 
turned in 1915 and con- 
tinued on the field for their 
second term of service un- 
til 1923 when they left for 
their second furlough and 
arrived back on the field 
in November, 1924. They 
have three children, Irene, 
Carolyn and Waldo, all 
born in India. Bro. Leh- 
man’s parents are still liv- 
ing but Sister Lehman’s parents have been dead for a number of years. 





Brother Lehman and Family 


20. RETER A. FRIESEN was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, 
May 22, 18/9. He was engaged in teaching and evangelistic and colportage 
work when he and his wife, Sister Helena Dick, to whom he was married 
October 10, 1901, were appointed to go to India as missionaries. They 
arrived in India, March, 1907, with their two children, Peter and Mary. 
Their first furlough was due in 1914 when they sailed for the homeland, 
again returning for their second term in 1915. Their second furlough was 


182 BUILDING ON CRE, ROCK 


not quite due when Sister Friesen who was with the children in Naini Tal 
suddenly »passed ‘away, July, 1921.' Bro. Friesen with the children; Peter, 
Ida, Willie, John and Edward returned to America early in 1922. Mary 
died in 1911 and Roza, who was born in India, died in 1913. While on 
furlough in August, 1922, Bro. Friesen was married to Sister Florence 
Cooprider and together they sailed to India at the close of 1923. Paul, a 
younger member of the family, was born in America and Grace Elisabeth, 
the youngest, was born in India. His mother is living. 


21. HELENA DICK FRIESEN was born in Mountain Lake, Minn., 
February 12, 1880. She was married October 10, 1901, to Bro. P. A. Friesen 
and with him was appointed to go to India. They sailed early in 1907 and 
arrived’ in India an, March, 190/78, Thefirst® term 
of missionaries is usually full of varied experi- 
ences, and Sister Friesen had her full share. She 
lived with her family at Balodgahan, their first 
appointment, and later spent some time at Garia- 
band where the Mission had hoped to open a new 
evangelistic station. They lived in improvised 
quarters while there. When that door closed they 
Were appointed to Sankra where land was secured 
for a new station and in November, 1910, they 
moved to Sankra. She was called upon to pass 
through a sad experience when Mary passed away 
on account of croup. Mary died November 15, 
1911. Two years later in the rainy season, August 31, 1913, Roza also 
died. ‘There were heavy floods and it was very difficult for any one from 
Dhamtari or Balodgahan to go to Sankra but Bro. M. C. Lapp and Dr. 
Esch got through on horseback. However, all the burial arrangements had 
already been made and it was Sister Friesen’s sad lot to prepare, with her 
own hands, little Roza’s body for burial. 


Their furlough was due in 1914 and she sailed with her husband and 
family in March of 1914. The children accompanying them were Peter, 
Ida, and Willie. They returned in 1915. While with her children in Naini 
Tal in the hot season of 1921 she suddenly took sick and in a few days 
was with her Lord. She died July 28, 1921. Her body lies buried in the 
European Cemetery at Naini Tal. Her parents are both dead. 





22, DREGE LORENCERCOOPRIDERERELSEN was born near 


McPherson, Kansas, January 6, 1887. Having completed her preparation 


BULL DIN GeO Ne ire ROC Ks 183 


for medical work at a medical school in Chicago she was appointed to go 
to India as a medical missionary and arrived in India, November, 1916. 
In 1922 she returned to America on her furlough and in August of the 
same year was married to Bro. P. A. Friesen. Her second term of service 
on the field began January 1, 1924. Her parents are living. 


23. DR. CHRISTIAN DAVID ESCH was born near Wellman, Iowa, 
October 12, 1883. Feeling called to do special work for the Church along 
medical lines he prepared himself for this work, completing his medical 
training in a medical school in Chicago. In May, 1910, he was appointed 
by the Mission Board to go to India as a medical missionary. He was 
married November 23, 1910, to Sister Mina Brubaker. 


2+, MINA BRUBAKER ESCH was born in Cherry Box, Missouri, 
January 22, 1887. She engaged in city mission work for several years 
when she received the call to go to India as a missionary. On the 5th of 
September, 1910, she was married to Bro. C. D. Esch and together they 
sailed for India arriving there November 23, 1910. 

Bro. and Sister Esch served their first term of service in India, until 
March, 1917, when they went on furlough, during which time Bro. Esch 
completed his college work, and returned again for their second term of 
service in February, 1921. Their children are David, Sarah, Mary, Nellie, 
barbara and Helen all of whom were born in India excepting Nellie who 
was born in America. Their parents are dead. 


29. ALDINE CARPENTER BRUNK was born in Broadway, Va., 
October 25, 1886. He was graduated from college in 1911 and was 
appointed to India as a missionary arriving in India in 1912, The next 
year he was married to Sister Eva Harder. 


26. EVA HARDER BRUNK was born in. Lathan, Missouri, aiyeec, 
1883. She was a student preparing herself for further usefulness when she 
accepted the call to India arriving there in October, 1908. In 1912 she 
was married to Bro. A. C. Brunk. 

Bro. and Sister Brunk left for their first furlough in September, 1919, 
returning again for their second term in 1922. While on furlough in 
America Bro. Brunk took further training taking his Master of Arts degree 
at the College of Missions, Indianapolis. Sister Brunk took a_ special 
course in medicine at the same institution. 


2/7, CHARLES LEWIS SHANK was born in Leeton, Missouri, May 


184 BUILDIN GUON GR EyROCK 


22, 1886. After graduating from college he was married to Sister Crissie 
Yoder and was appointed to go to India in 1915. 


28. CRISSIE YODER SHANK. was born in Holden, Missouri, 
Tanuary 7, 1888. She was graduated from college in 1913 and was engaged 
in teaching prior to her being appointed to India. In 1914 she was married 
to Bro. C. i. Shank and the next year, August, 1915, arrived in India. 

Bro. and Sister Shank served in their first term of service until April, 
1919, when on account of the ill health of their daughter Ruth, born in 


India, they were obliged to return to America. 


29. RALPH. RR. SMUCKER was born (ans Aurora, BAe peaeken 
November 27, 1894. Fe moved with his parents to Tiskilwa, Illinois, where 
he was married in 1915 to Sister Alma Albrecht. 


30. ALMA ALBRECHT SMUCKER was born in Tiskilwa, Illinois; 
December 1, 1890. In 1915 she was married to Bro. R. R. Smucker and 
during their preparation at college for service in the Church, accepted the 
call to India and was appointed bv the Board arriving in India in 1920. 

Bro. Smucker’s parents are both living as well as Sister Smucker’s 
father. Ernest was born to them in America before sailing and Arthur 
Allen was born in India. 


31. MARY MAGDALENE GOOD was born in Concord, Tennessee; 
July 23, 1890. She taught school seven years and was graduated from 
college in 1919, soon after accepting the call to go to India as a missionary. 
she arrived in India Jutie 23), 1920. ‘Her parents=are- dead, 


32. MARY ALICE WENGER was born -near Canton,” Kansas 
February 26, 1894. After completing the necessary preparation she took 
nurse’s training at Newton, Kansas, graduating in 1920. Accepting the 


call to go to India as :a nurse she sailed for India, arriving February 4, 
1971: 


33. ERNEST EDGAR MILLER was born near Middlebury, Indiana, 
September 16, 1893. He was graduated from college in 1917 and the next 
year he was married to Sister Ruth Blosser. He was engaged as a high 
school teacher when he accepted the call to go to India but on account of 
the war he could not sail at once and engaged for several years in the 
Near East Relief. Several years before leaving for the field Bro. Miller 
was ordained to the ministry. 


34. RUTH BLOSSER MILLER was born in Rawson, Ohio, August 


*UdSOI TT 
uyof pue piemMpsy { yos%y Aiew pue aan ‘TyONWIG 4sausiy ‘UISIIIT STIL AA UeUjNeYy [neq pue udlyey ‘Yosq yeies SI9AOIT, 
rurqd pur 119340 : dde’T JOT IIe FT > MO qUOI “ANY Ly [neg pue UISIIL YT 99UIAO] WT pue ° : s 
“qostT 


I V ‘d_ + (pasea.ap) usjazy pue ‘ereqieg 
-UvUTINeY sIs[q pue -n *f :dde’y Auuey pur -° ‘OOL) = MOM IIPPIAL = “yosty Ped ‘4193ua MA 
AIBW Fale eupyy, pur TOIT 3S9ULy pue “gf yINy {poor AIP f.anyqyiy pue ToyonuG eupy pue ydiey fyunig BAY put ‘d ty 
-ofeqeuuy puev I9A017, UAIYJeM pur “Cy ‘) “Iq ‘dde’yT stoy -19][821G euuy -URUTYNeYy [[ossny 


“MOM APT “ISI 07 39] wosy Surpeay 
Sale Iisyy pue eipuy ur S3IIBUOISSIT INO 





186 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


15, 1893. She was graduated from college in 1917 and was engaged in 
teaching. In June, 1918, she was married to Bro. E. E. Miller. 

Bro. and Sister Miller received their appointment to go to India in 
1918 but on account of the war they were unable to sail until 1921, arriving 
in India in May of 1921. The parents of Bro. and Sister Miller are both 
living. They have one child, Thelma Marie, born in India. 


35. JOHN HERBERT WARYE was born in West Liberty, Ohio, 
October 19, 1890. He graduated from college in 1917 and for some years 
was engaged in teaching school and in the Near East Relief. He was 
married in 1921 to Sister Nellie Yoder. 


36. NELLIE YODER WARYE was born in West Liberty, Ohio, 
May 16, 1895. She was graduated from high school and took several terms 
of college work and taught school four years. In 1921 she was married 
to Bro. J. H. Warve and with him was appointed to go to India. They 
arrived in India in 1921. 


Bro. .and Sister Warye had well begun their first term of service when 
on account of Sister Warye’s delicate health they were obliged to return to 
America in 1924. They have one child, Herbert Benjamin, born in India. 
The parents of both Bro. and Sister Warye are living. 


37, DR. GEORGE D:. TROYER “was: born “in =Kokomowsindia 
February 26, 1890. He was married in 1914 to Sister Kathryn Summer. 
He completed his medical training and served two years as an interne when 
he, having accepted a call to go to India as a medical missionary with his 
wife, sailed for India. 


38. KATHRYN SUMMER TROYER was born in Peru, Indiana, 
September 30, 1893, and was married to Bro. G. D. Troyer, July 12, 1914. 

Bro. and Sister Troyer were appointed to go to India as medical 
missionaries and arrived on the field December 21, 1923. They have three 
children, Byron Nortell, Dana Orion, and Mary Annabelle, all born in 
America. 


The following is taken from the India Mission News for February, 
1925: 

“Tn all there have been thirty-eight missionaries in the India Mission 
of which twenty-two are on the field to-day. Of the sixteen who have left 
the work, four were removed by death; one went home to educate her 
children and eleven were compelled to leave on :account of health reasons. 
Of those who had to go home for reasons of hea!th all except two went 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 187 


during their first term of service. From among those whose health failed 
none were single missionaries. 

“The shortest term of service of any missionary was sixteen months, 
while the longest term is twenty-three years. This makes the average: 
length of service of all India missionaries nine years. Eight of the 
personnel, however, served less than two years while eighteen of the 
missionaries have already completed fifteen and one-half years each. 

“Practically all of the missionaries have had some special training in 
preparation for their work. Twelve completed their college work, four took 
medical degrees and four finished their courses in nurse’s training. 

“Out of the twenty-five years there were seven years which brought 
us no new recruits.” 





Darjeeling—a view of the everlasting snows 


«Korba 
/} 


f 
(Disci pl esof¥C hrist Mission) 
@ Bilaspur 


I (Gen. Conf. Men. Mission) 


ie Champa 





om t 
eae cane ta ae eee * 





Jagda) @.---" 
(Method tet M ise) on) 


B pop, YN is 








Scale: 1 inch.= 16 miles 


Our Mission Field bounded by —---—--- —) 


as related to fields of neighboring missions. 
Dotted lines 


Cichaaetees ) indicate motorable 
- roads. 


jer: 


CHAP GER XV. 
DATES AND DATA 


FOUNDING OF THE MISSION 1899 
Opening of Stations 


Name First Occupants 
Sundarganj J. A. Ressler and W. B. & Alice Page 
Rudri* M. C. & Sarah Lapp 
Balodgahan M.-C. & Sarahelkapp 
Sankra P. A. & Helena Friesen 
Medical Station C.D. & Mina: Esch 
Ghatula G. J. & Esther Lapp and Fannie Hershey 
Mahodi J. N. & Elsie Kaufman 
Shantipur (Leper Asylum) Ca Do .cerMinaaiisch 


*Sold to Government in 1911. 


Opening of Charitable Institutions 


Institution Place 
Boys’ Orphanage Sundarganj 
Girls’ Orphanage Sundarganj 
Girls’ Orphanage moved to Rudri 
Girls’ Orphanage moved to Balodgahan 
Leper Asylum Dhamtari 
Leper Asylum moved to Shantipur 
Widows’ Home . Balodgahan 
English School Hostel Sundarganj 
Old Men’s Home Sundarganj 
Widows’ Home Sankra 
School Kitchen Sankra 
School Kitchen Sundarganj 
School Kitchen Balodgahan 

Opening of Evangelistic Outstations 

Name Missionary 
Bhatgaon GJ... Lapp 
Bijnapuri M. C. Lehman 
Giriaband* P.. A. Friesen 
Maradeo JoN ee Kautiman 
Mahodi GaN anes ibaa 
Chikli Me Geelong 
Gopalpuri Ars Geo runk 
Bagtarai J, N. Kaufman 
Gatasilli G, J. Lapp 
Seodi Gea lapp 
Nawagaon P. A. Friesen 
Tengna P. A. Friesen 
Kaspur Gj aLapp 


*Work closed in 1913 due to owner refusing land. 
Mogragahan Home Mission opened in 


Potiadi Home Mission land purchased in 


Year 


1899 
1902 
1906 
1911 
1914 
1916 
1922 
1924 


Year 


1899 
1899 
1902 
1912 
1900 
1924 
1912 
1918 
1919 
1920 
1922 
1923 
1923 


Year 


1908 
1909 
1909 
1912 
1914 
1914 
1914 
1914 
1914 
1915 
1918 
1919 
1923 


1917 
1924 


190 BUILDINGYON FHE ROCK 


School 
Boys’ Primary 


Opening of Schools 


Place 
Sundarganj 


Boys’ Primary recognized as Middle School in 


Girls’ Primary 


Girls’ Primary moved to Rudri 


Girls’ Primary moved to 


Sundarganj 


Balodgahan 


Girls’ Primarv recognized as Middle School 


English School 


Sundarganj 


English School recognized as High School 


Primary* 
Village Primary** 
Village Primaryy 
Village Primary 
Village Primary moved to 
Village Primary 
Village Primary 
Girls’ Primary77{ 
Village Primary 
Village Primary 
Village Primary 
Village Primary 
Village Primary 
Bible Training School 
Carpentry School 
*Closed in 1906. 
**Closed in 1912. 
+Closed in 1910. 


Dhamtari (Chamar Section) 
Shankarda 
Arjuni 
Rudri 
Maradeo 
Bhatgaon 
Balodgahan 
Sundarganj 
Gopalpuri 
Bagtarai 
Ghatula 
Sankra 
Kaspur 
Rudri 
Sundarganj 


++Closed in 1915 and reopened in 1923. 


Name 


Jacob Burkhard 
M. C. Lehman 
(oe) Esch 
Sukhlal 
Elisha* 
Kuwarman 
Parsadi 

Mukut 

P. A. Friesen 
Sadhram 

Peter 

Haidar 

ASG. Brunk 
Budhbal 

Carp misch 


*Office taken away in 1918. 


Annual Conferences and Normals First Held 


Bible Conference 

Christian Workers’ Normal 
Church Conference 

Sunday School Conference 
School Teachers’ Normal 


Ordinations 
Office 


Minister 
Minister 
Minister 
Deacon 
Deacon 
Deacon 
Deacon 
Deacon 
Bishop 
Deacon 
Deacon 
Deacon 
Minister 
Deacon 
Bishop 


Sundarganj 
Sundarganj 
Balodgahan 
Sundarganj 
Sundarganj 


Apion 


Feb. 5, 
Apt: 
Nov. 20, 
Nov. 22, 
July 24, 
Jansece 
March, 
Mar. 9, 


Year 
1906 
1903 
1900 
1902 
1912 
1906 
1901 
1912 
1902 
1903 
1908 
1903 
1912 
1908 
1906 
1910 
1913 
1915 
1916 
1921 
1923 
1903 
1910: 


Year 


1901 
1911 
1911 
1913 
1913 
1913 
1913 
1916 
1916 
1916 
1916 
1921 
1972 
1923 
1924 


1906 
1911 
1912 
1915 
1922 


BUILDING ON -fTHE ROCK 191 





























Missionaries 
| Year of | |Returned|Invalided| 

Name Arrival | Furlough| Home | Home |Deceased 
BE ROY JSS Eg SO a ae POOF fom IOS on me LONG: agen ie ros Ie 
CGN oy TE pn ig boo) WRN PW EROS! UE hee. Latte L900 Mae ee See 
PUICCRI Ave ue a, ee eis ste earn T3002) eee fe EL QOOR ee Mewes ne 

WES MES UTICA ARR one cies a onto TOO eae Wests cons cil ere eta 1906 
ey PAST HAG ae A hc ti Sean e wicts ee 1900 1907—08 | Eo) Ce eee a en oe 
eee GAO Me ae ek See Urey coe cee | 1901 TOUS —=OO Hae citraig eul ne Ge tee | ee eB 

adele LOL LO eee Ne a de 1923 
SEE PTADY a Ley 08 weeds teen oe ae gg ar ak (O01 111 90708 ee eee ral cae eRe li ee 
py tee Jak. PLOT/. LON es dee Wier ols. Reelek oe 
Pee OT WCLICII erie yivocks a Uxln ce Bee LOS tt acre, 1904 | in eee | Bhar 
Betiiaaretweiler sy Saree. or soe TOO Zura or: ee Resear Srl TO04 45 Rae ethoe 
Mata we ceslete hee fev Wolets cre ce eS 1003 aaa ne IC ait ws 1O0SEe eens 
PSV CUETIC Ce Ac Sota scitd tees oe a ee 1905 1910—11| 1918 : nae Sees | Geerrck es 
LUT Nei RONG PLE Sorc A A eet ee 1905 UOT = 12 ee ae h ete me 
ce ote PLOIS=220 |r ero ee Set ete eee 
ARE SUSE TC BT: a igo ee 1905 9141 74 vo Oe Nate, che aa hoe ere es 
cele feo BETTS 0s Ee Mare iin sear POOS Rg 1912--913)| a. noaeeet iene ee icteric ee ees 
ora oats 17-21 a eaer Pt 

PCE CTERI SAND matic ee ert hie ace vt ects « | 1905 1912-13.) pa epee 1917 
Perm ee ONIN AT ON eae wees Coir oe sacs TO0G me Ot S— ihe cee | PPE Sita “| Peed See y= 
Toray rasa EO2 324.1 Ere Lett Oo nah een 
eid eID AT) earn goo she cure chee recta 1906 OMG Sirk, oe tata | tab teele alike eee oes 
Arty tye EO ZS etZ Aa slr recs tecatee [eae co ond Bil Een ates 
IEP TICSCT Wott choc lns «eve fees 1907 ea ed bos ani WE anette. de 
6 Oe 1922 2S n* Snook Loko v cok aia 

Bielenamerriccetige: (ot cater tes eee eek LOO 7 aALO PAE 1S Vee oa oe] eure ees 1921 
PON AM ACCEL steer sh rrr ues ten sn, LOGS AAO LO——2 TiN ae conve Att eeee ee eo 
Mote atos AG = brink GI3t. mee Lea ORR Pee bra prone Whe Shah degt ct > Ss 
REV AB yey hed cu aa oh) een ia aa LOO Sah OFA THE wg Peay | er te geteeee em ieee ae 
Married to J. N. Kaufman 1909 | Dee ete te pec eeoh arte er pane ra nnd Belkcge i 2 
MLR CUME es ies oe OS oak ee es 1910 OL POL bears et b Asante ea het a 
ANT ged a Ie Oe a eae eee eg 1910 LOU AR —2 1h wh, its, oe cen ey ete tees 
PLUS ee LIT art. sh are td we We ite «ees 10 12 LO LOFT er ee cer. tle ae tems bee octets 
ea ee C1 CLSNe Vat ot ti, Wes Sielas nels cos oe 1913 NOD LS A ead BE. | in net yr Lee wore ge 
ea eielmt Or) Gap Delo, © ee ae Renae ete pistes edad feet oral [helene oe tne 
“LL GESTS I a a pe iby nie rele 191 5iea eee 1919 ee ireaence 2 breton 
OTE. TT FSP Gk TS as Pine ato ee ee LOLS er ee 1910 Pa renee ein hare ges 
Micrencem Cooprider... biases cs veh Fes 1916 £9 22-23 Wm scare erarencts Meenas. etaeticta se 
Married to P. A. Friesen 1922 | eee ty ae ie cll aaa aeaies Petre co We cela eee, 
Ome MALIN CKCT). 02.5 6%. ciclo lew skees oats « LOZ ORE rc ss sicclucaic ee Mee ee ene tees whe 
Pea KOT Oy aSelatciaie. eto c aac o8olert OZ Ly ae WR ee cots (Nate che see | Pea tastes Ree fe nk) a 
MEE EO wos LAs wel SiS ese cles sad NFPA des ae Sadek, Pa eee a eae Gy © 82 at ee EPR el Ree 
RAS VETO eT 8S. At ce les ce cad cae PREVA YORE a cree Pina en AM eh ee 7 Ee 
Cae VES), SAND Se a ne TOD Re cece Geet Genes otara erate ca lee, ubetere 
Pep HCL © eee sik ee FN BR as HR LO? Tap ameter Aimer Clas. be ome, sion Seite tba 
BOE VOR 80 ucts etch s wines bale sO 1927 ee here ee O23? [ee aoe chee Scetd gee 
Ber C oat ae) rece e le ciate aie ee LOZ a Stent seen nes ie eae LOZ 3 ea eee ee 
i OR SD ore Ae aren ea LOZ SUP IS eee et ee ON Ph ORI Cn eh 





ROU IM LTOVErD nt ke as Wve bas eens Pate O23 Alc e ere cinder Wok ene ee ne ee oy 


192 


Name 


Ruth Ressler 
Esther Burkhard 
Samuel Burkhard 
Anna Burkhard 
Russel Kaufman 
Paul Kaufman 


Kathryn Ruth Kaufman 


Lois Lapp 
Pauline Lapp 


Missionaries’ Children 


Place of Birth 
Igatpuri, India 
Calcutta. India 
Dhaimtari, CeP., “india 
Nagpur, India 
Naini Tal, India 
Dhaintarite Gal base ina 
Naini Tal, India 
Igatpuri, India 
Buasoure, Gare eindia 


(Died at Balodgahan, Dec. 20, 1913) 


Harriet. Lapp 
Irene Lehman 
Carolyn Lehman 
Waldo Lehman 
Peter Friesen 
Mary Friesen 


Calcutta india 

Bilaspur. Oat eal fidia 
Ihamitare 1G er ei ndia 
Dhamtari> Gaebanindia 


MtPelake 3Minites) Uses. 
Mteiake,SMinn 2U. 3: 


(Died at Sankra, Nov. 15, 1911) 


Ida Friesen 
Rosa _ Friesen 


Igatpuri, India 
Dhamtarig Geel. wl ndia 


(Miedwat. ankra, | Aug: od LOO) 


Willie Friesen 

John Friesen 
Edward Friesen 
Paul Arthur Friesen 


Grace Elizabeth Friesen 


David Esch 

Sarah Esch 

Mary Ellen Esch 
Nellie May Esch 
Barbara Alice Esch 
Helen Rowena Esch 
Ruth Shank 

John Shank 


Darjeeling, India 
Sankro peels Lidia 
Spankra, sabe el naia 


BUILDING ONDE E* ROCK 


ne 


Bethel ey Kansas aU 50. 


Dhtamtari-(Gasl.india 
Igatpuri, India 

DhamtarreyG@ee al adia 
Dhamtari*a, Geb. el ndia 
Newton, Kansas, U. S. 
Dhamtariatowst winaia 
ham tities War eee lLodia 
Dhanitarti acon india 
Jagdalpur, 4s.) india 


(Died in Calcutta, July 26, 1917) 


Ernest Edward Smucker 


Arthur Allan Smucker 
Thelma Marie Miller 


Herbert Benjamin Warye 


Byron Nortell Troyer 
Dana Orion Troyer 


Mary Annabelle Troyer 


Dedication of Churches 


Leper Asylum 
Balodgahan 
Sundarganj 
Sankra 

Leper Asylum 
Sankra New 


Goshensalndss UsiSsc As 
Dhamtan Cra nadia 
Dhamtari ates &. einidia 
Pachmarhi, India 
Cicero, whl loge, PAY 
ehicagvOmliiaetrboeeA. 
Giiicagorsiie Ueto Ac 


1905 Famine 
1912 Cholera 


1914. Small Pox 
1913 Bubonic Plague 


1917. Cholera 

1924 Plague 
Famine 
Influenza 
Famine 
Cholera 


ia 


Date of Birth 


June 5, 1906 
Jan, sol aIO0Z 
Dec. 16, 1903 
Sept. 1, 1906 
Apt. *2oe0 1910 
Oct 350915 

May 22, 1922 
O€Ets 32052 1907, 
Nov. 13, 1909 


Marto la g1e 15 
Jan: 23; 41910 
Novi 24, 1912 
Oct 3) F916 
Augeezoe 1902 
Mayo 5a905 


Sept. 8, 1908 
Nov. 16, 1910 


May 8, 1913 
Novis3s0)71915 
Oct. 10, 1919 
Sept. 10, 1923 
Nov. 28, 1924 
MaveZivalyit 


Nov. 8.8912 
Nov. 24, 1915 
Aug. 28, 1918 
Mar. Sy slont 


Sept: 28, 1923 
Feb. 25, 1916 
May 30, 1917 


June 3, 1919 
Nov. ‘27, 1923 
July a5; 924 
Sept. 22, 1923 
July 8, 1918 
July 12, 1920 
Dec. 14,. 1921 


Famines and Epidemics 


1900 
1900 
1902 
1907 
1907 
1917 
1918 
1918 


1920—21 


1921 


CHAE SE RY 2GV'L 
A FORWARD LOOK 


Having noted in the preceding chapters conditions as they exist in 
the Mission Field, the work our Mission has, by God’s grace, been able to 
accomplish, the influence of Christianity upon the non-Christians of our 
Field, and a description of our Mission work as carried on from day to day, 
it will be a matter of interest and a source of great inspiration to take a 
look into the future :and see what our India Mission may reasonably be 
expected to accomplish. 

Future events can not be definitely predicted but some idea of what 
can be expected to take place may be had by an investigation of the past 
and present and noting the tendencies which have characterized our mission 
work and the general direction in which we have been travelling. But for 
such an investigation the brief span of twenty-five years is too short to 
give us the real direction so we will find it profitable to make a brief 
review of mission work in general. It is a known fact that Christianity is 
increasing in India very rapidly—that the rate of increase is becoming 
higher every decade. The millions in India are becoming accustomed to 





A Forward Look 


194 BUILDING ON: THE ROCK 


the work and influence of Christianity. Hindus in all sections are 
acknowledging the superior force of Christianity. The lower castes are 
being won to Christ and these by careful teaching and training are 
superseding the Brahmins, filling positions of influence which have been 
held without challenge by the Brahmins for centuries. It is needless to 
discuss the great effect this has on Hinduism. The low caste people, just 
referred to, are coming to Christ literally by the hundreds of thousands. 
Not only are the low caste people turning to Christ. People, who are ina 
position to know, :affirm that there is a very widespread movement among 
educated people to worship Christ. There are thousands of these people 
who worship Christ in secret and the confident prediction is that, in the 
not distant future, these same people will simultaneously express them- 
selves openly and publicly confess Christ. What a wonderful day that will 
be for the Christian Church in India! The very thought thrills one’s 
heart! The leader of a group :antagonistic to Christianity—-a Hindu—has 
publicly stated, “The brightest star in the diadem of Christ is India 
and He shall have it.’ “Mahatma” Gandhi, that indefatigable religious 





A Typical Jungle Village 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 195 





Two Hopefuls 


confined to the missionary force at 
work in India but came also from 
the rapidly increasing native forces 
who are assuming positions of lead- 
ership. This native force with more 
mature experience has been able to 
compel a greater respect on the part 
of the non-Christians. 


Let us now trace these tenden- 
cies in our own Mission. A _ grad- 
ual, healthy, if slow, growth and de- 
velopment can be traced in our India 
Mission since its beginning. The 
Church is becoming older, more ma- 





and political leader of India, reads 
the Christian Bible every day though 
he himself is a Hindu. These state- 
ments are given to indicate the tre- 
mendous influence exerted by Chris- 
tianity upon the people and suggest 
to us an encouraging phase of devel- 
opment. This progress has been 
It has been gradual. It 
has come because of hard, persistent, 
Christian effort for many years. Be- 


regular. 


sides, it is general and is spreading 
out into fields hitherto untouched. 
This hard, persistent effort was not 


They Need Your Support 


196 BUILDING ONI\THEO ROCK 


ture and more experienced. The Church already numbers many Christians 
whose parents have been Christians in our own Mission before them. 
Besides these, there are nearly eight hundred children—orphanage boys 
and girls and children of our Christian people—who are potential members 
of: the .MWennonitre 
Church and this num- 
ber is’ increasing ~ as 
our actual membership 
increases. A most en- 
couraging beginning 
has already been made 
among the village peo- 
ple, a considerable 
number having been 
baptized among them. 
Many of our Christian 
people have Hindu rel- 
atives who are con- 
stantly coming in con- 
tact with the Christian 
people and many have 
already been won for 
Christ. We are watch- 
ing with keen interest 
movements among cer- 
tain castes toward 
Christianity and while 
we do Snot sexpectars 
“mass movement” as is 
experienced in some 
parts of India where 
as many as forty thou- 
sand people are bap- 


tized every year; yet 
Street Scene in Dhamtari we believe that when 





an open break has been made on the part of these castes towards Chris- 
tianity in our own Mission Field it will have the most far-reaching results. 

Another matter that bodes well for the future is the increased feeling 
of individual responsibility on the part of our Indian church leaders. Not 
only do they realize that their non-Christian fellow countrymen are unsaved 


BUILDING ON THE ROCK 197 


outside of Christ but they believe it is their duty, even more than the duty 
of the foreign missionary, to give them the true Gospel. Then, too, since 
the inconsistent lives of the weaker members of the Church reflect on the 
whole Church they feel the responsibility of more carefully and effectively 
disciplining the Church in accordance with the standards of the whole 
Gospel. 

In taking a forward look we are not overlooking the fact that only a 
comparatively small portion of our own Mission Field has as yet been 
influenced by the Gospel. A study of the map of our Mission Field will 
help the reader to understand this. The Bendra-Nawagarh State in the 





The Court, Dhamtari. Three educated and influential Indians 


northeastern part of our Field has no resident missionary or Indian workers. 
The whole of Kanker State is without any workers. In the southwestern 
part of our Field is a native state without any Christian workers. Even 
our present stations are undermanned and hundreds of villages within easy 
reach of our stations hear the Gospel only occasionally from our Indian 
Christian workers while it is an unusual thing for most of the missionaries 


198 BUILDING ON THE ROCK 


to get time to go into these villages to preach the Good News. Obviously, 
in order to take full advantage of the many opportunities that come to us 
continually we must have an adequate force of workers both missionary 
and native. This may be possible through faith and prayer :and comes as 
a challenge to both the Mission and the Church at home. 

We are facing the future with great hopes. This does not keep us 
blind to the grave problems confronting us. Satan has been trying to make 
inroads and has too often been successful. While we are happy to state 
that modern tendencies towards liberalism in the Christian belief are 
absent both in our missionary as well as in our Indian Christian ranks we 
are aware that there are those among other churches in India who discredit 
the orthodox view of Christian faith and doctrine and the issue may have 
to be met by the India Mennonite Church. We believe that when the time 
comes the Mennonite Church in India will be able to meet the issue for she 
has been instructed these twenty-five years in the “all things” of God’s 
Word as believed and practiced by the Mennonite Church. With a 
communicant membership of over eleven hundred Christians and a 
Christian community of nearly two thousand, and with seven organized 
congregations, at the end of the first quarter of a century of Mission 
work, with God’s help and blessing, what may we not expect in the next 
twenty-five years? We appeal to the Church at home to continue stead- 
fastly in prayer for the work that God has so marvelously begun in India. 





The Lake, Naini-Tal 





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INDIA’S CALL 


Jers J. A. RESSLER 

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1. In your homes of comfort by your fireside bright, Do you think of the poor and dis-tressed ? 
2. Don’t you know that heathen are as dear to God, As the souls of the friends you hold near ? 
3. From the plains of In-dia comes a mes sage sad, “ We are perlshing, hope-less and lost; 

4, “But ’'m old and helpless and I can- not go,” Then let oth-ers you love take your place; 
5. Won’t you come then, brethren, and prepare to fight ‘Neath His banner with Truth’s mighty sword? 





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Those whom sin has banished from the Gos-pel light, And in bondage and darkness oppressed? 
And you've heard Him calling, ’twas the voice of God, Having ears, will you not let them hear? 
Will the call not wakeus in our homes so glad, To en-gage in the toil of the cross? 
From a_ call so pleading andcommand to go, Will you still, can youstill turn your face? 
Come and join our numbers,see the foe in sight, Won’t you join as we sing thus the word? 























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1-2. Will you leave your kindred and your homes so dear,Will you count all the world only —_ loss? 
3-4, We will leave our kindred and our homes so dear, We will count all the world on-ly __ loss, 
5. We haveleft our kindred and our homes so dear, We have counted the world on-ly _ loss, 
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For the love of Je- sus to those millions drear, Willyou car-ry the word of the cross? 
For the love of Je-sus to those millions drear We will car-ry the word of the cross. 
For the love of Je-sus to those millions drear We are bearing the word of the cross. 

















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